Fear is both positive, negative

Dale Carnegie said, “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

If you want to control fear and advance in your career, I have some ideas:

Look back over your career. What situations have made you feel afraid? Do you see any common denominators? When was the last time you were afraid to do something and did it anyway?

Look at your priorities in your life. Which ones make you fearful? Why are you afraid of them? Dig deep, and keep asking “why” until you are satisfied that you have found the root of your fear.

When a situation makes you nervous, construct a worst-case scenario. Examining the possibilities ahead of time will prepare you to avoid the potential pitfalls.

Shift your focus. When you’re confronted by a task that makes you fearful, stop and think about all the positive benefits it will produce in the end. Focusing on the outcome helps you put the small worries aside.

At every opportunity, take on a new task or a different responsibility. This will increase your capacity to take risks. It will also expand your skill set and build your confidence.

Look at some risks you’ve taken recently. Chances are most turned out OK. Figure out what made them work. Can you duplicate those decisions and apply them to other situations? at comics .azcentral.com