There’s a phrase I keep coming back to lately: do it scared.
Not because fear disappears.
Not because confidence suddenly shows up fully formed.
But because courage is something you build, not something you wait for.
Just like lifting weights at the gym, courage grows through repetition. You don’t start by lifting the heaviest barbell in the room. You start where you are, with what you can manage, and you come back again and again. Each time, the muscle gets a little stronger.
Fear works the same way.
Fear Isn’t a Stop Sign — It’s a Starting Point
For a long time, I thought fear meant “don’t do it.”
But I’m learning that fear often means “this matters.”
Fear shows up when something is unfamiliar.
When we’re stretching beyond our comfort zone.
When we’re stepping into independence, growth, or change.
If we always wait until we’re not scared, we end up waiting forever.
My Example: Walking in the Woods Alone
One of my personal “do it scared” moments is walking in the woods alone with my dogs.
The first few times, my mind ran wild:
What if I get lost?
What if something happens and no one’s around?
What if I hear a noise?
My body was tense. I rushed. I was hyper-aware of everything around me.
But I kept going.
And something interesting happened.
Each walk felt a little easier.
My shoulders relaxed.
My breathing slowed.
The woods started to feel familiar instead of intimidating.
Nothing dramatically changed about the trail — I changed.
Confidence Is Built Through Repetition
Every time we do the thing that scares us, we send a message to ourselves:
“I can handle this.”
“I am capable.”
“I survived last time.”
Confidence doesn’t come from thinking about doing something.
It comes from doing it, imperfectly, awkwardly, sometimes with a racing heart.
The goal isn’t to eliminate fear.
The goal is to expand what feels possible.
Your Courage Muscle Needs Regular Training
If you want to feel braver:
Try the thing that makes you uncomfortable
Do it in small, manageable doses
Repeat it until it feels less heavy
Just like skipping workouts makes muscles weaker, avoiding fear makes it louder. But showing up consistently — even scared — makes you stronger.
What Are You Avoiding Right Now?
Maybe it’s:
Speaking up
Starting something new
Being alone
Setting boundaries
Trying again after a disappointment
You don’t need to leap.
You just need to take one step, and then another.
Do it scared.
Do it shaky.
Do it anyway.
Because on the other side of fear isn’t danger — it’s growth.
I would love to hear from all of you what you want to challenge yourself with this year !
-Tanya