Break the Cycle of Fear and Self-Doubt in 6 Simple Steps
You stand at the water’s edge, huddled among the masses. Goggles on, wetsuit zipped, heart pounding. Sweat trickles down your back and the air crackles with anticipation.
As the seconds tick down before the gun sounds, your mind races with “what-ifs.”
What if I panic during the swim?
What if I don’t make the time cut-off on the bike?
What if my legs give out on the run?
All these worries stem from a single source.
Fear. It’s the most common cause of what-if thinking.
Now, what-if thinking isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s the brain’s way of preparing us for potential danger by predicting possible outcomes. But when these thoughts spiral out of control, it can cause anxiety, worry, rumination, and self-doubt.
So we just need to figure out a way to get rid of fear, right? Just try not to be afraid.
Here’s a secret.
Your fear isn’t the problem. Your mindset is. And here’s how to fix it.
Fear-setting is a simple 6-step process that will help you analyze your fear, come up with a plan for prevention, and take action. It’s a mindset shift that can help you in sports and everyday life.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the process so you can learn how to move forward (despite feeling afraid.)
Why we respond to fear in the wrong way
Fear is natural. It exists for a reason. Thousands of years ago, our survival instincts helped keep us alive by warning of real dangers, like weather, predators, or starvation.
These days, we still experience fear, but in much different situations. You might be afraid of losing your job and financial stability. You might worry about developing a serious health condition.
Other more subjective fears involve uncertainty, judgement, perception, or failure.
For athletes, fear shows up in similar ways:
Fear of failure → What if I don’t hit my goal?
Fear of judgment → What if I look slow or inexperienced?
Fear of the unknown → What if something unexpected ruins my race?
We experience fears in everyday life as well.
Fear of career problems → What if I tank this job interview?
Fear of financial instability → What if I can’t pay my bills?
Fear of being alone → What if I can’t find a spouse?
Whether fear arises in a sport setting, or in daily life, there’s one key thing to remember.
Fear isn’t the enemy. Fear is just information.
Fear is your brain highlighting that something is important. Your brain is saying “Hey you! Listen up. This is something I think we should pay attention to.”
What you choose to do with that information is up to you.
Here’s a mindset shift: Instead of letting fear paralyze you, use it to analyze, prepare, adapt, and grow.
What is fear-setting?
Think about a time when fear stopped you from doing something you wanted to do. Maybe it was signing up for a race, speaking up in a meeting, or making a big life change.
Fear has a way of whispering worst-case scenarios until we believe them. But what if we flipped the script? Fear-setting is a process that helps us analyze those fears logically and take action.
Popularized by Tim Ferriss, fear-setting is based on Stoic philosophy and the idea that peace of mind can be achieved by focusing on what we can control and accepting or letting go of the things we can’t control.
If you’re a triathlete, that probably sounds like a phrase you’ve heard quite often, whether it’s from a coach, an experienced athlete, or even on the Ironman race broadcast.
Control the controllables.
In a nutshell, this means focusing on the factors of race day that you can control. This includes things like your preparation and mindset, execution of your nutrition plan, or how you pace the race.
Factors you can’t control include the weather, the performance of other athletes, getting a flat tire, ect.
As it turns out, we can use this strategy with our fears as well. Once we define what we’re afraid of, we can make a plan to prevent it from happening, decide how to respond if it happens, and take action.
Fear-Setting: 6 Simple Steps to Overcome Self-Doubt
Step 1: Define the fear
Put a name and face to your fear. Answer this question: What are you afraid of?
Let’s walk through the process for an athlete who’s worried about panicking during the swim portion of a triathlon.
Define the fear: I’m afraid I’ll panic during the swim and won’t be able to continue the race.
Step 2: Identify the worse-case scenario
Once you’ve defined the fear, imagine a few worst-case scenarios. Be specific and descriptive. Think about what it would feel like. Consider what might happen if your worst fears came to pass.
What’s the worst thing that could happen?
I might struggle to breathe and have to stop.
I could fall behind the pack and lose time.
I might have to grab a kayak or be pulled from the race.
I could feel embarrassed in front of other athletes.
Step 3: Reality check: assess the probability
Now consider the likelihood that each worst-case scenario might actually happen. (Rate on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being most likely.)
This isn’t a specific step in the traditional fear-setting process, but I’ve added it because I think it’s important that we be able to distinguish the difference between a valid concern and an irrational worry.
Step 4: Make a prevention plan
Now, come up with a few strategies to prevent the worst-case scenario from happening.
For example, if you don’t want to panic in the swim, you might:
Swim 2-3 x a week to get comfortable in the water.
Train consistently in different open water conditions.
Practice deep breathing and relaxation techniques before the swim.
Start at the back or to the side to avoid chaos at the start.
Use a steady, controlled stroke and avoid swimming too fast at the start.
Remind yourself that you can always flip on your back or tread water if needed.
Step 5: Create an action plan for recovery
Now, come up with a back-up plan in case the worst happens. Think about specific things you can do in order to recover and get back on track.
If I start panicking → Switch to backstroke or breaststroke to catch my breath.
If I feel overwhelmed by the crowd → Move to the side where there’s more space.
If I can’t control my breathing → Focus on exhaling fully underwater and timing my breath with my strokes.
If I feel like quitting → Remind myself that pausing doesn’t mean stopping. I can take a few seconds to reset and keep going. I can hold on to a kayak or use my safety stroke until I calm down.
Step 6: Reframe the fear
This is when you might consider the costs of inaction and the benefits of action. If you’re afraid of panicking in the swim, you might:
Costs of inaction: Not sign up for the race, give up triathlon entirely, never realize your potential and reach your goals.
Benefits of action: Build mental toughness, learn you can do hard, scary things, become a stronger and more resilient athlete.
By working through this process, you can see how the fear of panicking during the swim shifts from something overwhelming to something manageable.
The goal isn’t to eliminate the fear entirely, but to assess the likelihood of it happening, create a plan of attack, and move forward with confidence knowing you can handle whatever comes your way.
I’ve used this exercise many times. I remember being a new triathlete heading down to Clermont, FL. to tackle a bike course that included Sugarloaf Mountain. If you know, you know. She’s a beast.
At the time, I remember feeling worried about this part of the race. So I did this exercise, and it helped a lot to calm my nerves.
I realized that the worst-case scenario (having to walk my bike up the hill) was something I could deal with. Also, I came up with a few steps to help prevent it from happening. I ended up having a great time at the race, and the mountain wasn’t nearly as bad as I had envisioned it would be.
Your turn: Was there a moment in your life where fear held you back—or pushed you forward? Share your story. I read every comment. :)
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