How to Take Action When You're Scared S***tless

Ah, welcome to this guide. Because you are reading this, I can make some assumptions about your character. I’m just gonna guess you’re ambitious and goal-oriented, focused and driven (with a great sense of humor). You, my friend, are a badass philanthropist at heart with huge dreams, working every day to make a real difference in the world. You are also courageous, confident and you settle for nothing less of yourself than total unique and authentic self-expression. I don’t know if you know this about me, but I really like your style.

And if we have anything in common you’ve experienced this: you have a lofty and exciting goal right in front of you, you’re completely jazzed and ready to crush it! You’re so drunk with motivation that you can’t even see straight and then… a week passes, a month, a year and you realize that you’ve made absolutely zero progress on your goal. Sometimes you even make negative progress!

Where have we gone wrong? You can have all the motivation in the world, and know from the depths of your soul that you want to create that result, get that fit, sexy body, make those millions, but the reason you haven’t gotten it is because you have failed to take consistent, focused action towards your desired end. That’s it. Isn’t it simple?

As simple as it may be, it can seem very difficult. We all have those times when we are incredibly resistant to taking the actions that allow optimal to be health, wealth, and wholeness in our life. This resistance is a normal human experience, and the most successful people on the planet have learned to recondition themselves to surpass the resistance and align themselves with their unique path to greatness.

So, what’s the secret to ninja-ing your way to achieve any result you desire? As you’ve heard before, the answer lies in your mindset or mental state, and more specifically in the feelings and experiences you associate with taking the action you need to take.

Because of the way that human beings have evolved, our brains are hard-wired to avoid pain and gain pleasure. These desires, or forces, absolutely direct the actions you take and the results you create. They affect every decision you make, every day. And they are powerful in ways that you can’t yet imagine.

Now, I didn’t just reach behind me, open my ass and pull this bit of information out of it. It comes from the research of Tony Robbins, and I’ve adapted an exercise from his 30-day program called Personal Power. To say this program is life-altering is an understatement. In two weeks following this program, I lost 15 pounds of fat, gained 7 pounds of muscle, decided to and took action to move to Australia in March of 2017!!, and scored a job that will at minimum triple my income. And I also started this blog, which I’ve been putting off for years. Yeah, we’re talking massive changes.

Any experience that you associate with pleasure, your brain will seek ways to do it more. This simply means that any behavior you consistently feel good about doing, you will continue to do, even if it’s a behavior you know you want to kick. Take the habit of smoking for example. This is a pattern of behavior that causes your energy levels to drop enormously, makes you wheeze and cough, can cause extreme irritability, is incredibly inconvenient during the winter or long stretches of time when you aren’t able to smoke. It makes every physical task you do more difficult, and a smoker knows that they are pumping carcinogens into their bodies multiple times a day! So, how is it possible that so many intelligent, happy and otherwise very healthy people continue this habit with the full disclosure that they are willingly killing themselves?

Well, basically it comes down to the fact that the smoker is not focused on the multitude of reasons why smoking cigarettes is a habit you’re better off not having. No, their focus lies on the relief from stress and craving that they will feel with the first drag. The way the cigarette makes them feel cool, even sophisticated, and how smokers can easily connect with anyone else in the exclusive smokers’ club. They are thinking about the pleasure that smoking brings them every time they light up.

It’s also important to understand that our brains are naturally motivated to avoid pain. In fact, the desire to avoid pain is more potent than the desire to gain pleasure. Think about it for a moment – would you work harder to gain $10,000 or to keep someone from stealing $10,000 from you? Notice the difference in how each hypothetical scenario makes you feel, and the sense of urgency it arouses. Chances are that winning $10,000 in a lottery would make you feel good, but having it stolen from you would prompt you take action right away to prevent it.

In the following exercise, you will take control of the magnitude of these forces to propel you toward the attainment of your dreams and goals. It’s like they say, before you know what you want, you gotta know what you don’t want.

Any habit can be changed or created with the help of a few pointed questions. To start, think of a goal that you have that you have kept for a while, perhaps a long while, and you’ve not yet fulfilled it. Something that you really want, but you’ve been so terrified of the possible negative repercussions that you haven’t taken action and haven’t achieved it. Maybe you want to get down to your target weight to feel sexy, fit and strong. You are tired of looking and feeling fat, being ashamed of your body, and living without sufficient energy. Or you want to raise your standards and make more money to better support your family and relieve unneeded stress from your life. Feeling the sense of lack and constant stress of poverty is really starting to grate your nerves. Make the decision to commit right now to the attainment of your goal which will really improve your life in every area. Choose a goal that causes you to burn with passion and excitement as you envision it’s reality playing out in your life. The goal you choose must challenge you to do more, be more, or give more than you are currently. Think BIG. Playing small is for small people, and that's not you. You are legendary, act like it.

Okay, so how does one achieve a goal? It happens over time, through a series of steps. Your life changes when you develop a new habit that you practice daily/regularly with the intent of mastery and measure your progress to ensure that the habit is effective in creating its intended result. You know which actions you need to practice habitually to get that sexy bod or generate/maintain wealth (or whatever goal will make you feel like a badass when you achieve it). Now it's time to dive in.

Question 1: In the past, what thoughts have I associated with [habit that I want to practice consistently]? In what ways has the action seemed painful or scary? If you are drawing a blank, realize that you MUST be associating pain with the habit or you would already be doing it. Think stronger, and write down your answers.

Question 2: What pleasure have I gained from not following through on my truest desire? Comfort? Social acceptance? The “safety” of never having to try something new, or fail? Be specific and think about how not following through has affected your relationships and lifestyle in a way that has felt pleasurable.

Question 3: What am I losing by not taking action towards my goal? Chances are high that if you have desired this goal for so long, you are missing out on a multitude of positive benefits that you would have if you just took action! You already know you want these awesome changes, so use your noodle. What are you missing out on? Maybe it’s a level of freedom, and choice, or ability to contribute to your fullest extent. It could be the confidence, energy and ability to attract your ideal partner you will never have if you don’t develop new habits now.

Question 4: What will I gain by taking action right now? How is your life going to improve in every area? How great does it look and feel to be living your dream? Breathe deeply and let the intense feelings of pleasure flood your body.

Now you’re feeling how extraordinary your new life is, and you have solid reasons why you will not settle for not taking action. It’s time to do this, NOW! Here’s what's next.

1. For the next 7 days, each and every day, take 10-15 minutes to feel and relive the ecstasy of what your life is like with your goal achieved. Also, remind yourself of all the bad things that would happen if you weren’t following through with your daily actions. Remember, you are creating your future now.
2. Commit to a making a decision and taking an action that is going to put you closer to having your result right now. Even if it’s a small action, such as writing an email or perhaps reading a book. Commit, choose an action and do it now. After you take one action, take another. Then another, and so forth, until you are holding your dream in your hand.

Hey, way to go! You are building momentum and are closer to your goal than you have ever been.

Have questions, relevant stories, or constructive feedback? Leave a comment. It’s my pleasure to hear your thoughts as we help each other through this beautiful journey.

Your Teammate in Legendary Pursuits,

Ann