Fear isn’t just an emotion—it’s a silent architect of your decisions. Whether you’re navigating entrepreneurship, career shifts, or personal growth, questions about fear shape how you respond to risk, uncertainty, and opportunity.
As someone who recently transitioned from a 25+ year corporate career to entrepreneurship, I frequently reflect on fear’s influence and how addressing it can lead to growth and greater clarity in life and career.
3 Key Questions About Fear to Ask Yourself
What’s Your Natural Inclination Toward Risk?
Some people are less risk averse and dive right into things that would send many people running. Others, like me, tread more carefully, getting the lay of the land and trying to understand the various options before making a decision. Neither is good or bad, but understanding your natural inclination helps ensure you are choosing the best approach for you in a given situation, and not just going with your default.
Action Step: Reflect: “Is my default response serving me, or is fear disguised as caution?”
What Uncontrollable Fears Are Hijacking Your Mindset?
For example, something bad happening to loved ones, political challenges, climate change, fear of major health issues, pandemics, etc. How much do these fears impact your daily life? Are there things you can do to lessen the impact, such as being more selective about what type of news, social media, books, etc. you pay attention to?
Lessen the Impact:
- Curate Inputs: Limit doom-scrolling; follow uplifting or solution-focused content.
- Focus on Agency: Ask: “What CAN I control today?” (Hint: Your habits, boundaries, and self-talk.)
What Learned Fears Are Holding You Hostage?
We all have them…things like fear of failure, fear of humiliation, fear of rejection, fear of public speaking. While not life-threatening, they can feel that way and hold you back from having the life you want. This is where mindset work can really help; digging into these learned fears enables you to flesh out what’s really true, instead of what might feel true in a given moment. Then, you can re-shape your mindset, get past those fears, and move towards where you truly want to be.
5 Most Common Questions About Fear (Answered)
- How do I stop overthinking fear? Practice mindfulness: Name the fear (“I’m scared of X”), then ask, “What’s the smallest step I can take?”
- Can fear ever be helpful? Yes! Fear of stagnation can motivate change. The key is distinguishing protective fear from paralyzing fear.
- Why do I fear success as much as failure? Success often means leaving your comfort zone. Dig into beliefs like, “Do I feel worthy of this?”
- How do entrepreneurs handle fear? Many embrace “calculated risks” and reframe fear as a sign they’re pushing boundaries.
- When should I seek help for fear? If fear disrupts daily life for weeks, coaching or therapy can provide tools to rebuild confidence.
How Mindset Coaching Transforms Your Relationship with Fear
Before I started working with Coach Susan a few years ago, I felt stuck…trapped by a variety of fears learned throughout life as I tried to navigate without truly understanding who I was. Now, I’m still cautious, but can choose how to respond when tough situations come up…am I going to let myself be stuck, or am I going to use my mindset tools to get past this situation? Admittedly, there are times when I might wallow for a bit, but eventually (with a push from my coach, if needed!), I choose to do the work to get to the freedom of the other side. It’s hard work, but so worth it!
Elite would love to support you in this work. Please reach out to learn more about how we can help! Use the below link to book a free consultation
Jen Patel | High-Performance & Leadership Coach
