Dealing with Fear (resources and a worksheet)

Soooo I didn’t write to you last week. I had been in Virginia with my family and my grandmother (who is slowly getting better) for over two weeks, I had just made a nine-hour drive home, and I was focusing my remaining energy on client work. There were perfectly good reasons not to write and share something.

But I still felt fear. In the interest of full transparency, I was afraid of:

•  Skipping a week when I talk so much about consistency
•  Sharing something that wasn’t “good enough” because my attention was elsewhere and I had limited time
•  Spreading myself too thin by forcing myself to write and share something anyway
•  Wasting your time by just writing a short note to let you know what was going on
•  You thinking I don’t have it all together

All that over one blog post! And I’m guessing I’m not alone. We’re all so terribly afraid of—well, so many things! So today, I want to share two things that I (try to) use when I'm facing fear. (Recognizing that I feel fear is a whole different ballgame.)

First, I want to share some resources.

These are great reads (plus a great listen and a great watch) about fear. These are messages that really spoke to me, many of which I return to again and again when I’m afraid. Now they don’t all directly use the word “fear,” but they address things I think most of us are afraid of—criticism, self-doubt, sharing who we are and what we know, and so on.

How to Overcome an Irrational Fear
by Seth Godin

What do you do when the trolls come marching in?
by Paul Jarvis

How to Deal with Trolls, Haters, and Copycats
by Lauren of Elle & Company

How to Deal with the Fear of Blogging
by Kathleen of Braid Creative

The Only Way You Can’t Is if You Won’t
by Jenna Arak

Your Content Shapes What You Do
by Tara of Braid Creative

Be Bad to Get Good
by Jenna Arak

Do You Let Criticism Stop You? How To Insult-Proof Your Ego
by Marie Forleo

How to Be a Boss Even When You Feel Like a Fraud (or the “fraudy feelings” episode as I think of it)
by Kathleen and Emily of the Being Boss podcast

And second, I want to share a worksheet.

I use this worksheet (and share it with my content coaching clients as well) to deal with fear. Examining what you're afraid of honestly and committing to concrete action steps can make a world of difference! Download the worksheet below:

What do you do when you feel fear? I would love to hear. I think the more we all talk about it, the more we can fight it and keep on keepin' on!