It seems that there are two types of courage…

The one that creates heroic behaviour when someone performs a risky rescue. Those who earn medals for valour invariably deny any great courage, they claim to just have done what needed to be done at the time.

The other usually requires us to grow outside our comfort zone and try something new. For children learning to swim it’s fully submerging their face and opening their eyes. For many it might be making a speech, a fear even greater than death for some people. Treat fear as a friend, acknowledge that it is wanting to protect us, then let it go.

1. Talk to someone who has already been there, or read a how-to article or book on the subject. The fear usually exceeds the reality of the task, so some research and reassurance is helpful.

2 Analyse the parts. Thinking of a project as a whole entity can seem insurmountable but when it is broken down into component parts it becomes doable. Think of a time when you achieved something that seemed big in the beginning. How did you start? Did you write a list? A mind map? Discuss it with someone? What helped you get organised? Start with one step.

3 Develop a growth mindset. There is no such thing as perfect. The drive to be perfect can inhibit the growth of excellence, but when we see every challenge as an opportunity to grow it’s amazing what we can do.

When you have done it once congratulate yourself then look for an opportunity to do it again soon and consolidate your learning.

Then look for another challenge.