𝗗𝗼 𝗜𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝟭𝟮𝟬 𝗕𝗣𝗠 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗠𝗲

There is a book called Do It Scared, and I read Do It Scared a few months ago. Its message is simple but challenging: you do not wait until fear disappears before you act, you move forward while fear is still there.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽

Last Wednesday night, right before I presented a speech at Toastmasters, my watch sent me a notification telling me that my heart rate had risen above 𝟭𝟮𝟬 𝗕𝗣𝗠 even though I was inactive. I was not running or moving around. I was simply standing there, waiting for my turn to speak, and that was enough for fear to show up physically.

I was nervous, and part of that nervousness came from an honest awareness that my preparation was not where I wanted it to be. I had limited time, I knew I could have practiced more, and that awareness made the moment feel heavier than usual.

I was most nervous before I started. Once I began speaking, it got easier. As I talked, my body settled, my thoughts slowed down, and I could finally focus on what I wanted to say instead of how fast my heart was beating.

When my evaluator mentioned that I looked calm and relaxed, I was genuinely surprised, because not long before that moment my heart had been racing. On the outside, I appeared steady, even though internally I had been working through fear.

𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿

I stepped into another first.

I showed up to the contest expecting to serve as a timer, but with encouragement from our club leader, Yujun, I found myself stepping in as a contestant instead. With just 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀’ 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲, I decided to compete in my first Evaluation Contest in front of district judges, knowing there was no long preparation window and no chance to feel completely ready.

Again, part of the fear came from the same place. I was stepping in before everything felt polished, and every instinct told me to wait, give myself more time, and stay comfortable. Instead, I chose to step forward.

When the contest ended and I heard my name called for 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲, what stayed with me most was something simpler. It was my first time evaluating, and the fact that I had stepped into that role at all surprised me.

𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆

One idea from Do It Scared that helped me see fear differently is that fear does not show up the same way for everyone.
The book describes seven fear archetypes:

• The Procrastinator, who waits for the perfect moment
• The People Pleaser, who fears disappointing others
• The Rule Follower, who is afraid of doing things wrong
• The Outcast, who fears standing out
• The Self-Doubter, who questions their ability
• The Excuse Maker, who always finds a reason not to act
• The Pessimist, who expects the worst outcome

Reading about these made me realize that fear is personal and adaptive. That week, I recognized myself in more than one of these patterns. I noticed the self-doubter questioning readiness, the rule follower wanting everything to be right, and the procrastinator suggesting maybe later. Even with all of that, I chose to act.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀

Doing it scared does not mean being careless. It means moving forward even when preparation is imperfect and conditions are not ideal. Fear did not mean I was failing. It meant I cared enough to want to do well, and confidence did not come before action but slowly built because I acted anyway.

So the next time your heart races, do not take it as a warning.
Take it as a signal.

A signal that you care.
A signal that you are stepping into something that matters.
A signal that growth is happening in real time.

That 𝟭𝟮𝟬 𝗕𝗣𝗠 was not telling me to stop. It was telling me to begin. I spoke anyway, I competed anyway, and I learned that courage does not require fear to disappear.

𝗗𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱.

Comments

[Bhavin Sheth]

This really resonated with me. That moment where your body is nervous but you choose to move forward anyway is something many of us quietly experience. “Do it scared” is such a powerful reminder that confidence often comes after the action, not before it.