How can I take action on my big ideas?

The Fear Audit

At any given moment, we all have a Big Idea in our minds. 

Call it a goal, a project or even a dream – it’s that one idea that lights you up every time you think about it, but at the same time the thought of actually going for it fills you with dread. 

It might be an idea for a book proposal, a long-form magazine feature, a newsletter (!) Or it could be something completely different from your usual work – a novel, a documentary or a screen-play. Whatever it is, we all have that one thing we keep day-dreaming about but haven’t made any progress towards achieving. 

I can prove this theory because I bet that as you’re reading this, you have something in mind right now.

Well, I want to chart a path to help bring that idea to life. Starting today! 

Over the next few weeks, you’ll receive emails from me with exercises, resources and Q&As to help you get started on that big idea you’ve not been able to get off the ground yet. 

The aim of this series is to help you get clear on what you want to achieve, figure out what’s stopping you from doing it in the first place and make a roadmap to getting there. 

And it starts today. You’ve tried putting it off until “one day”, well that hasn’t worked … so let’s just start.

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📝 The Fear Audit 

While we might say that the reason we’ve not started on that big idea is that we don’t have the time, money or resources, the real reason is actually fear. It’s always fear. So for this first exercise, I’m asking you to audit your fears.

Grab a paper and pen. Think of the Big Idea you’ve been putting off. Now let’s audit our fears.

Part one: Painting the fear picture

Fears often feel messy and amorphous. I speak for myself here when I say that I’m often more scared of the unknown than of something I can actually define. In the first part of the fear audit, we’re going to get real about what we’re actually scared of. 

1. Write a list of the fears that are preventing you from pursuing your big idea 

For example, let’s say your big idea is writing a book and what’s holding you back is a fear of failure. 

2. Get really specific about what you’re actually afraid of – what do you think will happen? Play out your worst fear

Continuing with the book example, perhaps you’re afraid that agents will think your idea is terrible and they will print out your proposal and laugh about it with their colleagues 

3. How much do you really believe in the likelihood of this happening? 

If I’m being honest, the chances are quite slim.

Part two: Damage control

In this part, we’re going to figure out some strategies for reducing the likelihood those fears will materialise, as well as making some contingency plans should the worst thing happen. 

4. What are some steps you can take to prevent the fear you outlined in part one from happening?   

I could ask someone who has written a book before for help; I could approach a literary agent for guidance; I could do my research into what makes a good book proposal 

5. If your worst fear came about, what could you do to repair the damage?

If my idea got rejected, I would ask for feedback on how I could improve it for the future. If I did ~actually~ get laughed at for my idea, I might want to consider that people who laugh at book proposals are not the kinds of professionals I would want to work with anyway 

Part three: What happens if I don’t even try?

In the final part of the audit, we need to think about what happens if we need even try. What we’re looking at here is the cost of inaction.

6. How would it feel to achieve the goal? What impact would it have on your life? 

To have a book published would not only give me personal fulfillment, but it would also step up my professional profile and open new doors for me. 

7. What benefits are there to attempting this goal? Even if you don’t achieve it, are there any benefits to at least trying? 

In trying to write a book, I would learn new skills and I might develop my confidence

8. What are you losing out on by not taking any action towards achieving this goal?  

I would always wonder “what if”.

Some pointers for getting the most out of this exercise:

• Get as detailed as you can. The answers I’ve given are brief but you should really dig into each question

• Don’t be hard on yourself, it’s normal to be afraid of challenges

• Repeat this exercise for all your fears. The example I gave is just one fear, chances are more than one fear is holding you back

• Use this exercise in other areas of your work (and life!). It works for all challenges, big and small

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✋ Commit to taking part 

If you’re serious about finally taking on the Big Idea you’ve been putting off, comment below. What’s the idea you finally want to tackle? Commit to doing it by writing it down and sharing that pledge with the rest of us.