Positive Uses for Fear

We tend to think of fear as a negative emotion, but there are times when a little fear can help you to meet and exceed your goals. Here are 3 ways fear can be used to drive positive results:

1.      Deadline Driven Fear - have you ever noticed that you are more focused and more efficient when there’s a looming deadline? The pressure of knowing you need to finish on time can be a strong motivator, and the increased concentration often results in a better quality result.

2.      Fear of the Mundane – sometimes being afraid of what will happen if you don’t act is more powerful that the potential for failure if you do act. Not making a change is the same as making a decision to be complacent with things staying the same. People who realize this and take action, often end up being more successful, even if they fall down a few times along the way.

3.      Challenge Based Fear – challenging situations can allow us to face and overcome our fears. It can help to think through two key questions: What’s the worst that can happen? What would you do if you were not afraid? Taking as little as 5 minutes to consider possible outcomes can help us with strategizing. We’ll also be more prepared for possible pitfalls as well as more aware of our ideal outcome.

Fear can be used as a tool to discover where we are and the path to where we want to be.  It can create walls but also open doors. When we understand how to use fear productively, it can be used to our advantage in creating successful outcomes.