Fear is defined as “a distressing emotion aroused by a threat, whether the threat is real or imagined.”
As actors, most of our fears are more imagined than actual physical threats, but it doesn’t make them any less debilitating. While eliminating fear may be impossible, you can learn to utilize it to your advantage. You might not even be aware that it’s actually fear you’re feeling as it can be disguised as procrastination, doubt, indecision, or even caution.
Let’s use a simple phone call as an example. Say you want to reach out to an agent for representation. You don’t really feel “ready” to make the call so you go out to Starbucks, find yourself on Facebook, or suddenly notice how badly the house needs cleaning. (Procrastination.) Maybe you wonder if your reel and résumé are strong enough. What if they already have enough of your type? (Doubt.) And is this really the right agent for you? Perhaps you should do more research. (Indecision.) You finally decide to make the call, but now you’re concerned about the time of day. You want to be careful not to annoy the agent by calling when they’re busy with the breakdowns. (Caution.) Sound familiar?
Here are some tips on how to use fear so it works for you, not against you.
Connect the feeling of fear with success. Fear is the prelude to potentially great things. Think about any successful moments in your life and they were probably all preceded by fear—getting the big promotion, booking the coveted acting gig, landing the agent. When you find you’re resisting something that you know could be good for your career, you know you’re on the right track.
Once you spot fear in any of its forms, work out the worst-case scenario in your head. Chances are if the agent rejects you, you won’t lose a limb or die. The only thing worse than the worst-case scenario is no action at all. Make the call, send the email, approach the person, and don’t wait. Time is not your friend. Time will only perpetuate inaction.
Use the physical reaction that fear induces. When we feel fear, even though we’re not running for our lives, we still feel a degree of adrenaline—increased heart rate, tensing in the muscles, sharpened senses—the exact opposite of being relaxed and comfortable. Now is the time to act.
Be it a phone call, an email, or approaching someone in person, once you dive in and get into action mode, the outcome is never really as bad as the scenario we’ve created in our heads. And then we wonder why we waited so long to do such a simple thing! Practicing the behavior of controlling fear with action will begin to make you stronger and more confident in asking for—and getting—what you want to succeed.
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