Working With Fear, Not Against It

One of the biggest misconceptions about training is that confident people aren’t afraid. That’s just not true. The experienced students still get nervous. The fighters still get nervous. The coaches still get nervous.

Fear never completely goes away. The goal isn’t to eliminate fear; the goal is to learn to move forward while fear is present. 

Most people wait until they feel ready. They wait until they’re in shape. They wait until they’re more confident. They wait until they’re less nervous. What they don’t realize is that confidence is usually the result of action, not the cause of it. You don’t become confident and then start training. You start training and eventually become confident.

Every person who walks through our doors has doubts–every day. The difference between the people who change their lives and the people who don’t isn’t because they’re fearless. It’s willingness: the willingness to take one step forward despite uncertainty. Fear isn’t your enemy; fear is just the proof that you’re doing something important. The goal isn’t to get rid of fear: it’s to stop letting fear drive your decisions.