Fearless people succeed because they think, speak and act differently than those who stay stuck and make excuses.
People ask me, all the time, how I became bold and courageous. There are a couple of reasons. I was one of ten children; number six from the top. As a young child, I learned to speak up and take action in order to get my needs met.
By the time I was 22 years old, I was married and already a mom with four daughters. I traded my freedom for a ton of responsibility, without thinking much about it. I grew up very quickly. It took a lot of guts, courage and determination.
Today, I have a wonderful family and a massive amount of experience with living fearlessly.
No matter where you are in your life, you can act your way out of a fearful situation. You can thrive.
If being bold and courageous is something that interests you, here's what fearless people do differently.
1. Be authentic, scared and vulnerable. Don’t hide how you feel. Don’t pretend. Be who you are. Face and embrace your fear. Let your uniqueness shine. Being real is very attractive.
2. Learn from failure. When you mess up; learn from your mistake and try again. There is no reason to be ashamed, embarrassed or fearful. Failure builds character. It creates epic tales of grand adventure. Failure leads to freedom. Fail your way to success. The sooner. The better.
3. Challenge convention. Don’t be afraid to go against the grain. Leo Babauta told me a few years ago that his plan is to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. He recently lowered the price of his Sea Change Program from $26 to $10 a month.
4. Connect with others. Really connect. Get away from your electronics and connect face-to-face. Check in with people. Listen for what others need; meet those needs. Go the extra mile without expecting a thing in return.
5. Speak up. Don’t be afraid to be heard. State your opinion. Take a stand. Let others know who you are and what you’re all about. You count. You matter. Fearless people know that!
6. Take action. The wisdom and knowledge you have won’t count for much until you put it into action. Don’t read another book. Embrace fear. Act. Don’t go to another conference. Act. Put your dream on your daily to-do-list.
7. Do what it takes. Take risks. Do the things you’re afraid to do. Dare. Go after what you want. Don’t spend your time over thinking or over analyzing. Don’t hold back; ask for support. Bet on yourself.
8. Ask for help. Ask someone to mentor you. Ask for direction. Ask for what you want, when you want it. Most people love to help others. If the answer is “no,” ask someone else. Fearless people are good at asking for and receiving help. Fearful people stop after one rejection.
9. Learn to trust yourself. Keep the commitments you make to yourself and others. Do what you say you’re going to do. Write down your promises so you don’t forget them. Follow through. When you can trust yourself, you’re more likely to trust others.
10. Learn new skills. Learn to enjoy challenges. When I wanted to be a better parent, I took parenting classes. When I decided to be a professional speaker, I joined Toastmasters. Currently, I’m taking a class called: “Leveraging Up,” It will take me to the next level both personally and professionally.
11. Shrink your fear. Take your power back. Stand tall. Look fear in the eye. Mentally see it get smaller and smaller. See yourself get taller and taller. Hold your head up high, pull your shoulders back and act confident. Soon you’ll feel that way too!
12. Expect the best. Expect to succeed. Believe it will happen. Create a mental movie with an amazing ending. What if you believed the best is yet to come? How would you feel and what would you do today?
13. Don't give up. Try again. Brainstorm solutions. Do something different. Look for the lesson. Look at the problem from a different perspective. Take a break and begin again. Go beyond the fear of not succeeding. Never give up. Never.
Please share your thoughts below.
I really love your very first suggestion, Tess – just to be real! It’s amazing how much better life flows when you take that leap.