The One Surefire Antidote To Combat Career Anxiety, Doubt And Fear

Whether you're an entrepreneur or CEO, fresh to the workplace or a seasoned executive, we all share one thing in common: fear. And how could we not? Fear is a powerful emotion designed to keep us safe and free from harm.

But fear is tricky. It’s so insidious. Sometimes, you don’t realize the hold it has on you and your career. We feel anxiety when we're pushed to do things that make us uncomfortable, so naturally, we avoid them at all costs. When doubt rears its ugly head, we tell ourselves to heed its warning. Better safe than sorry, right? Sooner or later, that caution that prevents you from getting hurt or put on the spot stagnates you. The real danger comes from the passivity that fear enables.

The good news is that there is one surefire antidote to combat career anxiety, doubt and fear: taking action. Yet even the most successful business leaders acknowledge that simple advice can be surprisingly difficult to follow. Here are a few encouraging nudges to inspire you to take action in your career:

Turn those What if? questions from negative to positive.

“Everything you’ve ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear.”

~ George Addair

How many times have you stressed about making a change, allowing fear and uncertainty to halt your progress? Chances are, you allowed doubt to creep in, polluting your perspective. When we focus on the negative what-ifs—What if I fail? and What if I embarrass myself?—we remain in a vicious cycle of inertia and perceived inadequacy. But when we shift our mindset and turn those what-ifs into positive questions—What if I succeed? and What if I inspire someone?—we envision the possibilities and more easily welcome new outcomes.

To grow, you need courage; courage requires taking action. 

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."

~ Dale Carnegie

Sad but true: There is no growth in the status quo. If you'd like to progress in your career, sooner or later you need to break out of your comfort zone. According to Brené Brown, you can choose courage or comfort, but you can't have both at the same time. Challenging yourself to leave your cocoon helps you stretch your wings and gain new skills, experience, and confidence. Until you choose to take responsibility for your growth journey, everything will remain the same. To make positive change, you have to be willing to be vulnerable. You need to muster the courage to acknowledge and tackle your fears.

Action begets more action—and success.

"The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you're willing to work."

~ Oprah Winfrey

Newton's first law of motion states that an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion. The same is true for your career. When you use awareness to make action an intentional habit, you train yourself to continue to take action. Over time, those small changes in behavior creatively shake things up and breathe new life into old methods and routines. You're forced to get out of ruts you may not know you've been in, to view things differently with a fresh perspective. And combined with focused action, that newfound clarity will bring you something even better: success.

If you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done. As Gary Vaynerchuk says, “When it comes down to it, nothing trumps execution.”

Remember, action speaks louder than words.

This article was first published on Forbes.com. Find it here.

---

?Amy Blaschka is a social media ghostwriter who helps leaders communicate and connect better. Contact her if you'd like her help.?

Did you enjoy this article? Follow Amy to have her content delivered directly to your feed.