What are you avoiding?
Face the fear to move your life forward.
Each time you let fear stand in the way of something meaningful, you add another brick to the wall between you and the life you want. It drains your energy, cuts off possibilities, and blocks the feedback that drives growth. When progress stalls, ask yourself:
🤔 What am I avoiding?
We all avoid things we truly want because fear shows up. Fear of discomfort, embarrassment, or failure can stop us from asking for a raise, having a difficult conversation with a friend, attending a party we’re nervous about, or speaking up for ourselves at work. We’re bad at predicting how things will make us feel. When we mistakenly predict something will feel bad, we avoid it, don’t learn we were wrong, and turn it into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Avoidance feels safe, but it comes at a cost. No action means no practice, feedback, learning, achievement, or growth. It breeds frustration, stress, and regret. Each act of avoidance strengthens fear and keeps us from becoming who we want to be.
We grow by doing meaningful things that scare us. Taking action is often less frightening than we imagine. It brings experience, insight, progress, improvement, and makes us feel more capable, courageous, and alive. It gives us the chance to prove our predictions wrong. Each step we take weakens fear and moves us closer to living in line with our values.
Avoiding what matters is like eating junk food: it gives short-term relief but drains your energy.
Choose one meaningful thing you’ve been avoiding that aligns with your values, stretches you a little, and could make a real difference. Break it into manageable steps if it feels too big. Identify the fear, whether it’s rejection, failure, or discomfort. Then do it anyway. Celebrate each step, even if the outcome isn’t perfect. Reflect on what you learn and adjust your approach. Share your progress with someone you trust for support. Keep going until the fear eases, then move on to the next important thing. Think of it as an experiment in living your values. Each attempt teaches you something.
Avoidance shrinks life. Action expands it. Face what matters. Feel the fear. Take the steps. Keep moving. That is how you live your values and become who you want.
Addendum
When avoidance shows up, ask yourself these questions to break it down and take action:
🤔 What am I avoiding right now?
🤔 What fear is underneath this?
🤔 What will it cost me if I keep avoiding?
🤔 What’s the worst realistic outcome? How would I handle it?
🤔 What’s the best realistic outcome? How would it change things for me?
🤔 What’s one small step I can take today?
