Embracing Fear to Advance Your Professional Journey
Taking a leap in your career can feel daunting. Whether it's switching industries, pursuing a passion project, or stepping into a leadership role, fear often holds us back. Whiles its not always possible to eliminate fear, you can move through it with the right strategies and support in place.
Fear is a natural response to uncertainty. I recently polled my LinkedIn community with the question: “What’s the biggest fear holding you back from taking a career risk?”
The response was telling:
50% Fear of financial instability: Anxiety over potential income loss or job security.
30% Fear of failure: Concern about not meeting expectations or making mistakes.
20 % Fear of change: Discomfort with leaving familiar environments or routines.
00% Fear of judgment: Worry about how others perceive your choices.
While fear of judgment was the least selected, that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. Many of us experience multiple fears at once. Recognizing them is the first step toward addressing what’s holding you back. Here are some strategies that can help you get “unstuck”:
Fear of Financial Instability —>
Manage the Risk Through Planning
Ask Yourself: What’s my worst-case financial scenario and how can I prepare for it?
Financial stability is foundational to our sense of security, so it makes sense this was the most common fear. But too often this fear stops us from exploring options that might actually INCREASE our earning potential or greater income in the long term.
Don’t wait until the last minute to think about how you would manage a change if it means less income in the short-term. Rather than letting this fear stall growth, use it to fuel a plan:
Anticipate the shift in income. For example, if you want to start your own business, understand the financial impact and how long will it take to regain or surpass your previous income.
Create a financial cushion before you make a change. Aim to save 3–6 months of expenses. This gives you breathing room while exploring something new and reduces the pressure to make decisions based solely on the money it will bring in.
Explore lower-risk transitions while still employed. Try consulting, freelance gigs, job shadowing or internal projects in areas of interest for your next career move. This helps you explore new areas without sacrificing your pay check.
Seek expert advice. Work with a career coach or financial advisor to help map out your options, assess the true financial risks, and create a plan that aligns with your values, lifestyle and goals.
Fear of Failure —>
Reframe as a Learning Opportunity
Ask Yourself: How can I view failure as part of the process?
Many professionals hesitate to take career risks because they fear making a mistake that could damage their reputation, confidence, or future prospects. But what if failure wasn’t something to avoid, but a necessary part of growth?
View your career as a long game. Your career will span over decades; a single misstep does not define you. Reframe those experiences as learning opportunities moving forward.
As Arianna Huffington stated, “Failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of the process.” To reframe failure as learning:
Adopt a growth mindset: See setbacks as data, not dead ends (e.g., a fixed mindset). This is how we begin to embrace failure. Everyone experiences it; its what we do with it afterwards that makes the biggest different to the long game of our career.
Reflect on past “failures” as lessons for your next steps: Take time to revisit moments where things didn’t go as planned. What did you learn? What did you do/not do differently because of gaining this knowledge? This helps you see past challenges as stepping stones to future moves.
Start small to build confidence: Taking risks is like strengthening a muscle. You need practice. Get into the habit by taking on low-risk projects or responsibilities (e.g., volunteer assignment, side hustle) that allows you to experiment and gain confidence towards bigger goals.
Fear of Change —>
Get Comfortable with Discomfort
Ask Yourself: What’s one small change I could make to move me closer to my goal?
Many times we focus on the risk of change instead of acknowledging what the risk of no change is costing us (e.g., dissatisfaction, burnout, missed opportunities). When you begin to weigh the risks of change versus the status quo, this can help move you closer to what you really want. You don’t need to overhaul everything all at once; instead, build upon change gradually. This is also a muscle we need to flex!
Growth doesn’t require giant leaps. It’s built from consistent, courageous steps forward. Start by recognizing discomfort is a natural part of growth and transformation. Begin to build comfort through these steps:
Start with micro-changes: Find one thing you can do that nudges you in the right direction and doesn’t feel so risky. Update your resume, schedule a coffee chat with someone in your dream role, sign up for a short online course. These small actions create momentum without feeling so overwhelming.
Manage your emotional response: As you explore new steps, notice how you feel. Identify the fear but don’t let it drive the decision. Because let’s be honest: sometimes it will be uncomfortable no matter what you do. Normalize the fact that discomfort comes with change, and that’s okay!
Build upon progress: With every step forward, this moves you close to the end goal. Keep going. Progress builds confidence and reminds you that you can adapt and increase your tolerance to new situations.
Fear of Judgment —>
Focus on Purpose, Not Approval
Ask Yourself: Who’s opinion really matters most when it comes to my career?
We often underestimate what matters to us and overestimate how much others care about our career choices. Fear of judgment can trap us in roles that look good on paper but personally leave us dissatisfied. I worked with a client who thought being an Executive Director was their chosen career path, but upon further reflection realized how much they loathed all the responsibilities that came with managing an organization! So instead, we talked about other pathways to move up in their chosen industry where they can make their mark as a specialist or thought leader.
Clarify what truly matters to you, the purpose behind your career, and build a support network that honors that. Here’s how to break free:
Clarify your values and long-term vision. Define what success looks like to you, not to others. Let your purpose, not other people’s opinions, guide your career decisions.
People’s judgement says more about them than about you. Their opinions are often shaped by their own fears, limitations, or definitions of success. When you choose to pursue a path that aligns with your own values and aspirations, you’re choosing purpose over approval. You do not need external permission.
Create the right support system: Surround yourself with family, friends, mentors, peers, and coaches who understand and validate your purpose and encourage you to take risks and make bold moves.
BOTTOM LINE:
Career risk isn’t about being fearless, its about courage: moving forward despite fear. Whether it’s finances, failure, change, or judgment that holds you back, these fears don’t have to be barriers. They can be used as fuel to move you towards the next evolution for your career. The first step is acknowledging what’s holding you back. Then, choose to move forward anyway. You’ve got this.