Imagine putting yourself out there in ways you have been dreaming of. Mustering up the courage to go after what you want with your chest takes guts. Whereas, trying to suppress your thoughts and feelings requires mental energy. Facing your fears is a battle of mind over matter. The Federal Aviation Administration reports that 2.9 million passengers fly in and out of U.S. airports daily. If we were to consider how many people are in the air, doing exactly what was considered “impossible” around the world, the number of passengers would skyrocket.

Step 1 - Familiarize Yourself With The Unfamiliar

Today, there are still people who have not taken a plane ride yet because they are afraid. Their fears are valid, and something that could be relinquished if they wanted to let go of the heavy emotions that arise when thinking about flying. Unfamiliar territories seem scary when we do not understand them well enough. With additional context and exposure, the things we used to avoid can become a part of our daily lives. For instance, I hated tomatoes, cold cheese, and eggplants a few years ago. They have become staples in my grocery list for the nutritional value they provide. Protein and fiber are key components of my eating habits and I have learned to love the taste of what is good for me.

Step 2 - Embrace The Secret Formula

The change you are after is likely not going to happen overnight. It will require dedication, resilience, and patience. If you’re feeling extra savage, sprinkle in a healthy dose of sugar, spice, and everything nice! Therapy is a great resource for conquering fears - ranging from Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and more! CBT tends to go hand-in-hand with exposure therapy, which can occur out in the wild on your terms. It can be healthy to challenge yourself in small increments to overcome more challenging emotions that stem from your triggers. My recommendation is to consult a trusted professional before throwing yourself into something new that does not excite you 100%.

Projections are all around us, so take nothing personally and show gratitude to those who have taken the time to share their insights with you. Recognizing that people are speaking from their own experiences, will help you curate the experiences you are gunning for. Continue to focus on yourself and the controllable factors you can manage. Once one person has achieved a plan you aspire to mimic, there is a clearer roadmap for you to follow. If your vision hasn’t been done yet, you are likely already paving the way for others with your innovative ideas. Pick and choose plans wisely, by giving yourself enough time to process what you would be committing to.

The Not-So-Secret, Secret Formula

dedication + resilience + patience = “impossible” goal achieved

Step 3 - Practice Time Management

Manage your time like it’s your job. After all, time is money and the projects you take on will cost you. There are plenty of categories to tackle and improve upon. While you do not have to pigeonhole yourself into one project at a time, it does help to have a primary focus. Prioritize the projects that require a sense of urgency and will affect key stakeholders/the majority of the population you want to serve. Below are some key notes to be mindful of:

• Delegating tasks allows you to get more done in a shorter amount of time, once you have established a productive working relationship with your team. Collaboration gets you further than doing things singlehandedly, as your bandwidth expands. With more people counting on you to pull through on your intended plans, it becomes tougher to let them down. The rule of thumb is to underpromise and overdeliver.

• Be resourceful. We are abundant with the knowledge we need to get things done at a quicker rate than ever before. There is no need to start from scratch if you don’t have to.

• Overcommunicate with those who would find the information you have to share relevant and/or interesting. Reflect on your interactions as often as possible to ensure you spend time with people you want to have by your side for the long haul. You never know how your connections may wind up crossing paths with you in the future.

• Remain open-minded to the ideas that may be presented your way. Whether or not you agree does not matter as much as reassuring people that they have been heard. Transparency is key, and ideas can always be built upon or tweaked.

• Manage expectations in ways that can allow you to meet deadlines as consistently as possible by being thoughtfully proactive. Expected delays should always be announced before people feel the need to follow up with you for clarification.

Step 4 - Control Your Impulses

Take advantage of what it means to be human, we influence the world around us in ways that birds cannot. This is not to say we are better than birds, rather, it is to clarify that we can have a positive impact on our environment by being more mindful about the way we treat it, if we choose to. Animal species do not have to suffer because people did not want to wait to find a garbage can to throw out their trash and litter. We are one and should treat each other accordingly.

Naturally, impulsivity can trickle in before making choices you are confident about. Keep track of the patterns in the times that have led you to less favorable situations. Pay close attention to what may have been a trigger and give yourself grace upon reflecting. You deserve to love yourself as much as you love others, if not, more. Fortunately, we are in times of more opportunity than ever before. It is up to you to decide how you want to leverage the time and energy that you have.

Release Your Inhibitions

Instinctually, people go into fight or flight mode for survival purposes. We are here to thrive, meaning there is only one direction to aim for - onwards and upwards. The creation and evolution of civilizations allow us to take a step back and breathe in ways our ancestors could not have imagined in their wildest dreams. Consider yourself blessed to be where you are today. Feel the rain on your skin as you conquer the dark storm of fear. A rainbow (one of the universal signs of hope) awaits among other opportunities to become a better version of yourself. What are you waiting for? Live life to the fullest.