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I’m afraid of messing up on this task and getting discouraged from taking action

Short Circuiting

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SHORT CIRCUITING@2x

The Context

There’s an old saying in the equestrian world. If you fall off a horse, get right back on. Because if you don’t, you may lose your nerve and never ride again. Check yourself for injuries, find your animal and saddle up before the fear creeps in. Yet another example of how speed is a powerful form of leverage. The faster we return to form, the better off we are. It kind of sounds like gym coach wisdom. Do it before the fear has time to reach your mind. Thinking too much means acting too little. Just jump!

The Tool

two color

Short Circuiting

SHORT CIRCUITING — Doing things before the fear has time to reach your mind

As cliche as that sounds, there’s something very real and useful there. Because the practice of short circuiting our fear system and launch right into action can have a profound impact on our outcomes. There is leverage waiting for you if you learn how to use it. Try this with yourself sometime. When you’re about to do something, anticipate that it’s going to scare you when you start, do it so fast that the fear doesn’t have time to slip in. This will give you a measure of objectivity you typically miss when anxiety paralyzes your system. Hear that middle aged gym coach’s voice in the back of your mind, pushing you to jump into the pool. If you don’t go now, you may never be able to, so take action before the fear has time to poison your blood and take you over.

Scott's Take

Scott's Take

Think about someone you know who is highly indecisive. Someone for whom trying to figure out where to each lunch isn’t a simple decision, it’s a full body encounter with anxiety. As they erratically deliberate which restaurant to choose, quietly slipping into the water's depths towards the fear of making a suboptimal decision, you just want to slap them upside the head and say, look, we’re eating ramen goddamnit, end of story. Perfect example of when adding velocity could positively move the action forward. And the hilarious part is, most people are secretly grateful when you help them make what they experience to be a tough decision. It’s not easy for everyone to be decisive, and that’s okay.

The Rest

Look, we all experience doubt and fear as part of our journey. Be we don’t have to stop where fear wants us to. We can do thing before our minds finds reasons not to. What if your fear didn’t have time to convince you otherwise?

The Benefits

Accomplish projects quicker with less stress
Take greater control over doubts around our creative abilities
Overcome team indecisiveness on menial issues so you can actually enjoy things
Gain a measure of objectivity you typically miss when anxiety paralyzes your system

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