Being fearless does not mean being reckless

It’s a question I repeat a lot, both to others and myself.

“What would it look like if I were fearless?”

It’s an insightful question to ask when you are facing a psychological roadblock, one that comes from a place of fear. This roadblock arises when you hesitate in order to avoid a negative outcome, whether conscious or unconscious.

But even if the fear is unconscious and you’re not sure why you are hesitating, asking the question, “What would it look like if I were fearless?”, makes it possible to envision a version of yourself that takes confident action.

• What would I do next?
• How would I feel?
• What would I think?

I’ve been reflecting on this over the past couple of weeks because I realized I was getting stuck.

The safe choice

During a recent quarterly planning session, I noticed a pull towards making ‘safe’ choices in my business. As I looked at the list of upcoming projects on the page, I had to admit I was letting fear guide my decision-making.

I wasn’t protecting time for work that I wanted to pursue but couldn’t predict the outcome.

• What if I spend my time on these projects and it doesn’t work?
• What if I realize too late that I’ve made the wrong choice?
• Wouldn’t it be better to do what you already know instead?

Luckily, asking what I would do if I were fearless is NOT the same as being reckless.

If I were fearless, I would protect time each week to work on these projects I want to do even if I can’t guarantee they will work out. If I were reckless, I would drop all my other responsibilities and focus completely on the new work.

Fearless, not reckless

There is a middle ground. I can protect time in my calendar for new, but uncertain work while also being a responsible business owner who has bills to pay.

Making responsible choices does not automatically mean you are making fear-based decisions. But, avoiding something you want while telling yourself it’s because you need to be responsible is a sign you are letting fear direct your decisions.

If you have been playing it safe and avoiding meaningful pursuits, what would it look like if you were fearless, but not reckless? It doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing.

Maybe that means progress is slower than you would like, but you and I both know that slow progress is better than no progress.

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