Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway
A short, encouraging 1987 classic arguing that you don't need to feel brave before you act; the fear tends to ease once you start moving.
What It's About
Susan Jeffers, a psychologist, wrote this book in 1987 around a simple claim: waiting until you feel confident before taking a risk is a trap, because the fear rarely leaves on its own. Her answer is not to eliminate fear but to move forward while it is still there. Much of the book is built on that reversal, treating anxiety about beginnings, endings, change, and money as a normal part of growing rather than a sign something is wrong with you.
The writing is conversational and direct, with short chapters, repeated reminders, and a lot of exercises and small assignments. Jeffers leans on affirmation-style lines and everyday examples more than case studies or research. It is a quick read that you could finish in an afternoon, but it is designed to be worked through slowly, with a notebook nearby.
The experience is that of a sympathetic coach giving you a pep talk and some homework. It is encouraging and often useful, though it can feel repetitive, and the advice is only as helpful as your willingness to try the exercises. Readers who only nod along tend to get less out of it than those who act on a specific fear within a week of reading.
Read this if you…
- Keep postponing a decision or project until you feel completely ready
- Want a short, practical starting point for handling fear about work or money
- Respond well to plain encouragement and simple homework
Skip it if you…
- Are dealing with a diagnosed anxiety disorder, panic, or phobia that needs professional treatment
- Want a rigorous, research-based account of how fear works or find self-help pep talks grating
Key Ideas
- 1
Action comes before the fear fades
Jeffers argues that the fear you want to be rid of usually stays until you do the thing it is warning you about. Confidence tends to follow action rather than precede it, so waiting to feel ready is itself a way of staying stuck. The practical takeaway is to make the first move while still anxious and let experience do the work that reassurance cannot.
- 2
Doubt about coping is often the real fear
Beneath many fears, Jeffers suggests, sits a worry that you won't be able to handle whatever happens. Shifting attention from the outcome to your own capacity to deal with it changes how the situation feels. The book encourages you to test this belief in small, real situations rather than argue yourself out of it in your head.
- 3
Word choice reinforces helplessness
A central technique is cleaning up the language you use about your own life. Phrases like "I should," "I have to," and "I can't" frame choices as obligations or limits. Replacing them with language that acknowledges your choices can make fearful decisions feel less like traps, though some readers find this part more mechanical than convincing.
- 4
Stretching limits through deliberate, scheduled risk
Jeffers recommends setting goals that gradually push past the boundaries you have set for yourself. The emphasis is on regular, planned exposure to things that scare you, in manageable steps, instead of waiting for a dramatic moment of courage. This makes the book's ideas concrete, because each goal becomes a specific test you can complete or fail.
Limitations
The book is from 1987, and its examples reflect the career and relationship expectations of that era, including some dated assumptions about gender and work. Its core message is repeated often and can feel thin once you have grasped it. It says little about the biology of fear or what to do when fear is severe, and it is not a substitute for therapy. Readers looking for depth on the science of anxiety will need other sources.
Questions Readers Ask
- Is Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway still relevant today?
- The central idea, that action tends to reduce fear more reliably than waiting for courage, still holds up and is widely echoed in later self-help and therapy-influenced writing. The examples and some of the phrasing feel dated, so it is best read as a useful framework rather than a current guide to career or relationship norms.
- How does it compare to Brené Brown's Daring Greatly?
- Both encourage acting despite discomfort, but Brown draws on years of qualitative research on shame and vulnerability and writes at more length about the emotional stakes. Jeffers is shorter, more exercise-driven, and more focused on everyday fears. If you want research and depth, Brown is the stronger choice; if you want a brief, action-oriented push, Jeffers works well.
- Published
- 1987
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Category
- Self-Improvement
Book details and cover from Google Books.
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