Why I'm Deliberately Scaring Myself Every Day in 2025

And why the energy you spend to avoid fear is your biggest untapped resource

I don't usually make New Year's resolutions. Like many of you, I've watched countless well-intentioned January promises fade by February. But this year, I'm approaching it differently. Now, I see New Year’s resolutions as an invitation for change, and who am I to decline? So my resolution for 2025 is unconventional: I'm committing to feeling fear every single day.

Let me explain.

A couple of weeks ago, I sat staring at an email draft for 45 minutes. It was a simple message to a colleague about a project adjustment, yet something kept me from hitting send. We've all been there – that moment when a mundane task feels impossibly heavy. As I analyzed my hesitation, I realized it wasn't about the email at all. It was about fear. Fear of reaction, fear of judgment, fear of imperfection.

This got me thinking about a pattern in my life, and maybe in yours too. How many times have we skipped the gym not because we're truly too busy, but because we're afraid we won't perform as well as last time? …