Are You Afraid of the Dark? Why Fear Is the Best Tool

Recently, on the newly minted streaming platform blab.im, I was asked what I was afraid of. The question struck me as odd, because I’d never been asked that specific question before. In my field, fear is a common finding. Building a venture from scratch and pouring your heart and soul into it is a nerve-wracking thing that could have anyone on edge. But me…

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There’s something really powerful about the idea of fear within the entrepreneurial experience. Entrepreneurship is, at its heart, an incredibly scary thing — individuals are laying everything on the line to pursue an idea, dream, or passion. Often, new business founders are putting themselves at an incredible risk — not to mention their investors, leadership team, and friends.

I don’t view fear as a roadblock. No matter what form it takes, fear provides the push I need to succeed. If you feel overwhelmed by fear in your professional life, read on to gain some tips from how I turned fear into one of my greatest allies.

1. Identify the Sources.

Fear, as a psychological response, keeps people safe. It triggers their “fight or flight” response as a way of coping with dangerous situations. While you’re probably not fighting for your life at work, the impulse of fear helps people avoid pitfalls. One of the most important steps toward turning fear from an enemy into an ally is identifying the sources of anxiety.

If a new idea is freaking you out, take time to analyze and figure out why. Is it too risky or are you simply feeling the pressure as you contemplate shaking up the status quo? Are you afraid because you haven’t yet analyzed a problem from every angle or are you simply experiencing the fear that arises before taking the plunge with a new project?

Identifying and compartmentalizing the sources of your fear is an essential tactic for evaluation your decisions. Getting out of your comfort zone is healthy and encouraged. But throwing your business plan and projections off a cliff because you haven’t vetted every outcome is not.

2. Finding Motivation.

For me, investing all of my time into something is a key indicator that I want to strive for success in that endeavor. The fear of losing that productive time and flushing it down the toilet is what keeps me going. Even if I was just sweeping walks — that success would be mine, since I invested my time into it. The hope for success is what drives away fear.

Today, insecurity is just as powerful a motivator as it was when the entrepreneurial sphere was still young. As thankful as I am for my successes, fear still looms around every corner and every action, and the only way to rid myself of it is to find that motivation that’ll help me kick fear’s ass.

3. Embracing the Challenge.

Regardless of whether you’re running an established business or just launching a startup, never let yourself become complacent. Your business can be overtaken by competitors practically overnight. Fear is a healthy, essential way to avoid complacency and challenge yourself to excel and succeed — if you learn to embrace and harness those feelings.

What I’ve found in my experiences is that fear manifests itself in different ways. Call it whatever you like — a drive, ambition, passion, or fire. But what it boils down to is fear — of losing, letting yourself down, disappointing your loved ones, forfeiting what you’ve built.

Once you recognize that it’s all just a game of semantics and that fear and drive are two ways to say the same thing, you can embrace fear for what it truly is — nothing more than a tool.

Recognizing the potential power of fear as a motivator is key to understanding it as an ally for your business and goals. You can’t just ignore it or pretend you’re invincible and untouchable. Rather, let in the fear. Embrace it. Allow it to keep you honest and constantly driving forward. Fear can be the spark that drives you to greatness if you let it be.

Brandon Rubinshtein, the author of this article, is an entrepreneur based in New York City with vast experience in startups. His latest venture is Verre, a “polished black car alternative that operates a cut above the industry standards”. Check it out!