Feel the fear! (And motivations for stepping outside your comfort zone)

Feel the fear and do it anyway. A self help ideology written by Susan Jeffers in the 80s, has become something of a mantra for me in the last 6 months. 

After a 20 year stint, I’ve left the world of public sector digital. I know (and love!) the people, the lingo and the cadence in which the sector operates. I’ve helped establish teams and careers (so proud), and loved nearly every minute of it. 

But I want a new challenge, and next week I start a new role. 

Rather than rely on the achievements, I’m actively stepping away from them. 

In this sense I’m leaning into my fear. I believe that if I embrace it (“feel it”), it will help me meet my longer term goals. 

1. So for example, that means actively stepping outside my comfort zone (in this case, public sector digital) and into a new sector, in order to create a new network of people to learn from. 

2. Feeling the fear also means embracing new challenges coming my way. Be that new colleagues, new ways of working and even (gulp) new SaaS products. Each time I do, it’ll be a little victory which will fuel my confidence to navigate the inevitable uncertainties of the future. 

3. Best of all, as incoming COO, I will be able to co-create something that I can be proud of, which will give me a sense of personal achievement. 

Well, that’s the theory. In practice, at least since I handed in my notice, it’s been emotionally tough. They’ve been moments of guilt and even a few tears! 

I’m an “all in” kind of guy, so it was always going to be hard to force myself away. But this here’s where the “feel the fear” approach is good for me. It’s actively forcing me away from the passive behaviours into something more constructive. 

Whether you’re at the start, middle or end of your professional journey, I challenge you to embrace some of your fears. 

Do you even know what they are? Could you seek help around a particular one? What’s stopping you from trying?!

First written on 7 April 2024