Fear, Failure, and the Field Notes That Got Me Moving
If there’s one thing—if not the thing—that’s kept me from starting this blog, it’s the persistent, soul-squeezing fear of failure. Co-starring: I’m not good enough and Who am I to think I have something worth saying?
Maybe you’ve felt this too.
For years, I flaked out on myself. Worried what others would think. Wondered if I’d sound ridiculous. But here’s the truth I’ve finally made peace with: I probably will. And I’m doing it anyway.
Because fear of failure is almost never about failure itself. It’s about judgment. It’s about looking foolish for daring to want something—and going after it.
The only thing that’s helped me start doing again is cultivating a solid case of the f*ck-its. When motivation is nowhere to be found, I imagine 90-year-old me: wiser, sassier, and completely done with my excuses. That version of me? She says: Do it. Now.
Whenever I’ve shared my big, scary dreams with older folks—retired mentors, grandparents, random seatmates on planes—their advice is the same: Do it. No second-guessing. No analysis paralysis. Just action.
And they’re right. Because the real danger isn’t falling on your face—it’s never trying at all.
So this year, I’m doing the thing. And I’m bringing the fear with me.
Here are a few tools that have helped me move through fear instead of freeze in it. Maybe they’ll help you too:
Field Tools for Fear-Fighting:
1. Daily Journaling & Monthly Goal Setting
Start small: one sentence a day. One goal a month. Even if you hit 10%, that’s more than zero. Life deserves the kind of intention we bring to work meetings and quarterly reviews.
2. Ruthlessly Curating Your Social Media Feed
If it drains you, cut it. If it inspires you, keep it. And if it all feels like noise? Step away. The world is still out here—offscreen.
3. Limiting (or Cutting) Alcohol
Not sexy, but effective. More clarity. More energy. Fewer wasted days. It’s a cheat code for getting unstuck.
4. Financial Literacy & Debt-Free Living
Having a cushion gives you courage. Your dreams need room to breathe, not bills breathing down your neck.
5. Scheduling Your Time Like You Mean It
Discipline isn’t a punishment—it’s a portal. Create space for the life you say you want. Block it out. Show up for it.
When you start building these habits, life opens up. Fear loosens its grip. Failure stops being a wall and starts becoming a compass.
Because in the end, that’s all failure really is—a field note that says: you’re trying. And that? That’s living.
Now go do something.