𝗝𝗼𝘆 – 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 – 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 – 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲.
These are words that so many people watching the world right now can no longer connect to.
But those words still exist in the dictionary.
Those words are still in your head… but perhaps not in your heart.
Perhaps you’re one of us who can see that this is intentional.
Those people of which I have no purpose to name. They want you to lose connection with those words. They want you to be fearful.
Because when you are scared… when you fear your future… and lose connection to 𝗝𝗼𝘆 – 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 – 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 – 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲, they are winning… and you are losing your connection to who you really are.
“But Rik… don’t you watch the news? Can you not see what is going on in the world? It’s madness. It’s chaos. We’re on the brink of everything falling apart.”
I hear you.
That is a reality. But it’s not my reality. And more importantly—it doesn’t have to be yours. Because the real problem isn’t fear itself.
The real problem is this:
Fear is stopping you from taking action.
And when fear stops you, life stops with it.
I’ve experienced this too many times to know that when I’m fearful my action freezes. The amount of people I can serve and help declines. My business revenues drop along with the corners of my mouth. People don’t want to be with me. Hell! I don’t want to be with me when I’m filled with fear. Fear is a killer, a cancer, a thief of passion and liar and a cheat.
So, let’s talk about how to take action when you feel fear, because this is the skill that separates people who stay stuck from those who move forward regardless of what’s happening around them.
What Fear Actually Is (And Why It Feels So Real)
Before you can take action when you feel fear, you need to understand what you’re dealing with. Fear feels real. It feels urgent. It feels like something you must obey. But in most cases, fear is not danger.
It’s interpretation. It’s the meaning we place on a person, an event or a situation that may feel stressful. Because we don’t wish to bring fear into our lives and most of us avoid hurt, harm or misadventure. Your mind is constantly scanning for threats. That’s its job. But it doesn’t just detect real threats. It imagines them. Therefore, it also reacts to:
- Uncertainty
- Judgment
- Failure
- Rejection
- The unknown
And here’s where things go wrong:
Your brain doesn’t distinguish well between physical danger and psychological discomfort.
So speaking up in a meeting… starting a business… making a big decision… can trigger the same internal response as actual danger.
Which means:
- Your heart races
- Your thoughts spiral
- Your body tightens
- And your mind says: “Don’t do it.”
Not because you can’t. But because it wants to protect you.
Why Fear Stops You From Taking Action
If you’ve ever wondered why fear holds you back, even when you know what to do. This is why.
Fear doesn’t just show up as fear. It disguises itself as:
- Overthinking
- Procrastination
- “I’m not ready yet”
- “I need more information”
- “Now’s not the right time”
But underneath all of it is one core pattern:
Fear creates hesitation. Hesitation kills momentum. And without momentum, nothing changes.
This is how people stay stuck for years. Not because they lack intelligence. Not because they lack opportunity. But because they never learned how to take action when they feel fear.
The Hidden Pattern That Keeps You Stuck
Here’s the pattern most people don’t see:
- You feel fear
- You interpret it as a sign to stop
- You hesitate
- You don’t act
- Your brain says: “Good, that kept you safe”
- The pattern strengthens
This becomes a loop.
And the longer it runs, the more convincing it feels. But here’s the truth that changes everything:
Fear is not a stop signal. It’s often a direction signal.
It points toward:
- Growth
- Change
- Opportunity
- Expansion
The problem is, most people have been conditioned to move away from fear… Instead of learning how to move through it.
“I’ll act when I feel confident”
How to Take Action When You Feel Fear (Step-by-Step)
Now let’s get practical. I want to turn my article into some practical and useful steps. Because as an old mentor once told me. Wisdom is knowledge that has been applied. Not just read. Applied. He would often remind me of this by reciting an ancient and wise Chinese proverb.
“To know and not yet to do, is not yet to know”
Because understanding fear is one thing.
But knowing how to take action when you feel fear is where your life changes. Back in 2002, I was scared as hell to quit my job and pursue a career in a new industry that formed and called it “life coaching”. Instead of feeding my fear, I entered the industry, trained, practiced and trained again and today I am one of the most sought-after coaches in the world. I’m not saying that to impress you but to reveal that underneath your fear lays dormant, a most powerful self. And this scares the crap out of your ego.
So let’s get practical now …
1. Stop Trying to Eliminate Fear
This is the biggest mistake.
If your strategy is:
“I’ll act when I feel confident”
You’ll wait forever.
Because confidence doesn’t come before action. It comes from action.
So instead, shift your approach:
“I will act with fear, not without it.”
Fear doesn’t need to disappear for you to move forward. This I believe is one of the biggest myths of all. I wrote about it extensively in my third book, “ROAR! COURAGE: From Fear to Fearless“. I wrote it because I heard myself repeating the same lessons again and again in coaching sessions. Now I can say to my fearful clients, “Just read ROAR! and then come back to me when you know what fear really is.”
2. Name What You’re Actually Afraid Of
Fear thrives in vagueness. So get specific. Ask yourself:
- What exactly am I afraid will happen?
- What am I trying to avoid?
You’ll often find it comes down to:
- Looking stupid
- Failing
- Being judged
- Losing control
When you name it, you reduce its power.
3. Shrink the Action
Fear loves big, overwhelming moves. So don’t fight it head-on. Reduce the size of the action. Choose just one small part of from the list of tasks you must take to achievement and focus just on that one small part.
Instead of:
- “Start the business” → “Send one email”
- “Fix my life” → “Make one decision”
- “Change everything” → “Take one step”
Action becomes easier when it’s smaller. And movement is what matters. When you move, you can feel it in your body. Your brain always receives signals from your heart brain (cardiac brain) and your gut brain (enteric brain) to find out what’s going on down there. When you move your body, your heads says, “Okay, what do you need me to do?” That’s why action is key to ruling over fear.
4. Use the 5-Second Rule
When fear hits, your brain starts building reasons not to act. You have a small window before hesitation takes over. So use this:
5… 4… 3… 2… 1… move.
No thinking.
Just action.
This interrupts the fear loop before it gains control.
5. Focus on Identity, Not Outcome
Most fear comes from focusing on outcomes:
- What if I fail?
- What if it doesn’t work?
Shift the focus to identity:
“I am someone who takes action despite fear.”
Now the win isn’t success.
The win is becoming the kind of person who moves forward anyway.
6. Reinterpret the Feeling
That sensation in your body? That feeling that you feel when you hear a tyrannical Trump telling us he’s going to decimate an entire country or when you see those purposefully written, highly reactive headlines in the News. It’s just your nervous system reacting and that’s normal. They want you to feel that way because when someone is feeling fear, they’ll do almost anything to be free of it.
Sometimes, fear shows up when opportunity arrives. I see it when someone is considering learning NLP with me. Something inside of them knows that life is going to change. They’re going to see a whole new them on graduation.
It’s not always fear.
It can also be:
- Excitement
- Adrenaline
- Readiness
Your brain labels it based on context.
So change the meaning:
“This feeling means I’m about to grow.”
Same sensation. Different outcome.
7. Build Evidence Through Action
Every time you act despite fear, you create proof:
- “I can handle this”
- “I didn’t die”
- “That wasn’t as bad as I thought”
Over time, fear loses credibility. Not because it disappears. But because you stop believing it. You stop reacting to it and start responding consciously. I’ve been standing up on any platform I can talking about how important it is to be conscious. Because in fear, we are not conscious. We’re unconscious and that means we’re reacting. We’re being triggered. I hope that makes sense to you.
Real-Life Application: Where This Shows Up
This isn’t theory.
This shows up in real life every day.
- The business owner who delays decisions
- The person who stays in a relationship too long
- The individual who never starts what they know they’re capable of
- The person who overthinks instead of acting
In all cases, the issue isn’t lack of ability.
It’s that fear is quietly running the show.
And once you learn how to take action when you feel fear, everything shifts.
The Truth Most People Avoid
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
You don’t need more information.
You don’t need more time.
You don’t need more certainty.
You need to act.
Because clarity doesn’t come before action. It comes from action.
And waiting until you feel ready is just another way fear keeps control.
Reconnecting With Joy, Love, Happiness and Hope
Let’s come back to where we started.
𝗝𝗼𝘆 – 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 – 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 – 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲.
These aren’t just words.
They are states you experience when you are moving forward in alignment with who you are.
Fear disconnects you from them.
Action reconnects you.
Not perfect action.
Not fearless action.
Just action despite fear.
Because every time you move forward, you reclaim a piece of yourself.
Final Thought: Fear Doesn’t Go First—You Do
Most people are waiting for fear to disappear so they can act.
But it doesn’t work like that.
The people who create change in their lives follow a different rule:
They act first. Fear follows. Confidence catches up.
So if you’ve been stuck…
If you’ve been waiting…
If fear has been quietly controlling your decisions…
Then this is your moment to flip the pattern. Not by eliminating fear. But by no longer letting it decide.
Ready to Take This Further?
Reading this might give you awareness.
But awareness alone doesn’t change your life.
Action does.
And sometimes, you need the right guidance to break the pattern faster.
So, if you’re serious about removing fear from your life… and you’re ready to start dreaming again with your vision back online, and you want practical help applying this in your situation…
👉 Book a free solutions session here:
https://calendars.lifebeyondlimits.com.au/solutions-session
In that session, we’ll:
- Identify exactly where fear is holding you back
- Break down the pattern that’s keeping you stuck
- Give you clear, practical steps to move forward
No pressure. Just clarity and direction.
Because at the end of the day…
Fear only wins when it stops you.
And the moment you take action!
You take your life back.
