Use Fear Setting to Break the Bonds & Barriers In Your Life

"Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear."?

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And here is a clear and simple way to get there!

It’s called “Fear Setting." It was created and popularized by the author & entrepreneur Tim Ferris in his book “The 4-Hour Workweek.”

In this activity, you identify & analyze what you are afraid of to become a calculated risk-take and a wise decision-maker with greater clarity and confidence.

Fear Setting involves breaking down fears into specific components, evaluating the likelihood of those fears becoming a reality, and assessing the potential impact of those outcomes.?

When going through this process, you gain a precise understanding of one’s fears and realize that the potential negative outcomes are not as severe as initially imagined.

In fact, I have found that you can leverage the things you are afraid of happening into potential ways to learn and move ahead even if the worst actually comes to pass.

?Ferris’s Fear Setting system typically involves three steps:

First, Identify the specific goal or decision that you're considering.??

Or, you might also be contemplating a daunting problem or a situation you’re afraid might happen.

In some cases, you can write a specific, measurable, achievable, realistic &?time-bound goal that describes and guides you to a desired outcome (e.g., goals concerning getting a scholarship or internship, successfully composing an MA thesis in three months, etc.)

But other life situations are far more fear-laden and overwhelming (such as overcoming a major illness, dealing with divorce, or the loss of a meaningful job).

In such situations, simply leveraging what life throws at you

-- in ways that enable you to grow, learn, or gain some measure of peace...

Well, it can be?the best you can hope for.

But no matter what’s happening

--no matter the aspirations you have--

it is possible to take advantage of the present moment.

…And that’s the beauty of the next steps involved with Fear Setting…

Then, the next thing you need to do is make a list.?

Write down all the worst-case scenarios you can imagine happening to you as you pursue your goals or endeavor to make the most out of a bad situation.

The more detail, the better.

This could include financial loss, embarrassment, rejection, or any other fears that arise.

This is the place for you to let your fears run wild!

Now evaluate potential outcomes that you associate with taking action or not taking action.?

On a scale of 1-5, how likely are these events to happen (with 1 being least likely, and 5 being inevitable)?

After that, rate the level of interruption or damage the event(s) you fear might bring to you or those around you (again, on a spectrum of 1-5 with 1 being negligible and 5 being life-altering and permanent).

Understand:?There is power in naming your fears and seeing them with cold realism.

You are most likely to find that what you most fear is not as likely as your feelings would paint it to be, nor as catastrophic.

And even if what you are afraid of is likely, you see that it does not have the impact you initially believed it would have after you reflected on it long enough.

More often than not, Fear Setting has been a tremendously empowering strategy that has led to novel solutions to problems, or opportunities to evolve into someone I never thought I could become.

This is possible when you take time with the third step…

Learn to see every obstacle in your life to fuel your abilities to move forward, acquiring what you most need or want right now or in the future.

For each fear or potential negative outcome, consider the steps you could take to prevent or minimize the likelihood and impact of those outcomes.?

If you were to bomb a midterm exam in a college course, you can take that data to help you figure out what the professor wants from you next time.

Of course, such failure can help you figure out the strengths, weaknesses, or learning gaps you need to close to become who you want in the future.

The loss of a relationship can make you question if you are a worthy partner for anyone.

?But the strife you encounter can provide information about those aspects of yourself that you have hidden in the shadows, and have chosen not to accept or change until now…

Your pain becomes a calling towards becoming your best self in the next relationship.

Understand: Within every fear lay the seeds for your success!

By taking an unflinching and in-depth look into the darkness, I have always found contingency plans to offset pain & failure.

I often see a way to acquire necessary & new skills or knowledge using Fear Setting.

Frequently, unforeseen roads open up that involve seeing parts of myself I never knew existed or becoming someone most needed at the right time.

You do not have to worry about the fears you have.

By systematically addressing fears and potential obstacles, Fear Setting helps individuals and groups gain a more objective perspective on their situation and what they can do.

?This strategy can reduce anxiety, increase confidence, and empower them to make informed decisions and take action towards their goals.

What fear-laden challenges stand in your way to well-being and success right now?

Why not give Fear Setting a test drive right now?

?Let it guide you towards the optimal outcomes you seek.

Let me know in the comments what you think of this process and how it worked out for you when you tried it.