You are an Athlete. You REALLY can DO HARD THINGS.

Athletes like you are used to doing hard things. 

You show up to do the hard workout at 6am. 

You say yes to the session that says “go all out”! The session where there is no limit to hard!

You sign up for the event even though you don’t have the fitness (yet).

You navigate perimenopause best you can. And still, fatigued and aching you keep showing up.

You do hard things. And sometimes fear gets in the way. 

"Fear is a negative, short-lasting, high-alert emotion in response to a perceived threat."
Brené Brown

Fear can be experienced when you don’t feel ready to take on the race/event before you. It shows up when the leap from your current skills to the challenge is potentially further than you like. It is when you don’t know something AND you struggle to admit it because you will feel less than, not enough or don't belong. 

Fear shows up when you start something again and wonder if that injury will come back. It sits in an unknown future. It is not what is experienced in that moment but in the moments to come. 

So what do you do about it?  Here are my quick tips:  

 1. Face the Fear: Often, confronting fears head-on is the key to overcoming them. My personal experience with fear, whether lining up with the best professional triathletes in the world or interviewing one of my most cherished authors/researchers has shown me that facing fear is where the most significant growth actually occurs and to cherish the possibility of the moment and how you get to show up.. Examine the Fear: Dig into your fears to understand their roots. Are they valid? What precautions can you take to mitigate them? Understanding the specifics of what you fear can help you address it more constructively taking one step at a time.

3. Growth Through Discomfort: Insights from a podcast with Andrew Huberman and David Goggins reveal that engaging in activities we dislike or fear can actually strengthen a part of our brain responsible for resilience. Growth can happen in the moment of discomfort if you are able to accept it for all that it offers. Pain and all. Don’t shy away from what scares you.

4. Simplify Your Approach: When faced with fear, sometimes the best strategy is to act without overthinking. Identify one small step forward and let the rest fall into place.  

5. Use Your Values: I used to HATE getting into cold water. Yes, capital letters emphasize how much discomfort I felt. Then one day, one of my dear friends, said to me, isn’t your value courage? Where is that? That was it for me. Now you don’t have to ask me twice to do the cold plunge or get into the cold lake.  I embrace it fully because it reminds me who I am. Courageous. 

So here is my challenge for you.

Identify something that intimidates or holds you back, and take the leap. Facing your fears could be the first step towards developing a new habit or achieving a long-held goal.

 Wishing you courage and growth as you face your fears and embrace new challenges. Let me know what you are taking on!