Fear Isn’t the Problem—Doing Nothing About It Is

When I was a kid, my dad had a serious fear of fire. And honestly, who can blame him? House fires are terrifying. They’re real. They happen. But my dad didn’t just worry—he engineered his way through it.

He built much of our house out of concrete, from the walls to the siding, creating what was basically a bunker disguised as a family home. The upstairs, where all us kids slept, had windows (thank goodness), but that was about it for actual fire preparedness.

We didn’t have smoke detectors in our bedrooms. No emergency ladder to toss out the window if flames blocked the stairs. I don’t remember ever seeing a fire extinguisher, let alone knowing how to use one.

Looking back, it’s funny in that weird kind of way “wow, I was raised in a huge cement oven, three stories in the air?” But it also makes me reflect: what’s the point of fear if we don’t use it to take practical, helpful action?

Fear Without Action is Just… Fear

My dad’s fear was real. But the actions he took didn’t really match the risk. Cement walls don’t tell you there’s a fire. They don’t guide your kids out of a smoke-filled room. A $15 smoke detector probably would’ve helped a lot more.

And it made me wonder: what fears am I carrying into adulthood that I’m not handling any better?

I have a totally irrational fear of being stranded on the side of the road. I don’t know why. I don’t have a backstory or a traumatic roadside event in my past. I just know that the idea of being stuck with a broken-down car gets under my skin.

So what did I do? I coped the best way I knew how: I started refusing to drive cars without warranties—as if a warranty would magically keep the engine running forever. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. It just helps after I’ve already been stranded. By then, the damage (and the panic) has already happened.

What haven’t I done?

• Learned how to change a tire
  
• Learned how to refill a radiator
  
• Carried basic tools or supplies in my trunk
  

I prepared emotionally but not practically. And that’s a distinction a lot of us overlook.

Business Fear Works the Same Way

Now think about your business. What’s your biggest fear?

• A fire in your brick-and-mortar?
  
• A slow season that drains your bank account?
  
• A cyberattack or data loss?
  
• A client who refuses to pay?
  

We all have fears. That’s not the problem. The question is:

Are you taking action that addresses the fear, or just reacting emotionally?

Not having emergency backup funds? That’s the business version of not having a smoke alarm.

Not having insurance or legal protections in place? That’s like building your walls out of cement but forgetting to put in a fire escape.

Just like my dad’s fear didn’t lead to fully functional safety prep, our business worries can lead us into half-measures or avoidance.

Turn Your Fear Into a To-Do List

Fear isn’t useless. It’s a signal. It’s your brain saying, “This matters.”
But once you hear the signal, you have to decide what to do next:

• If you’re worried about cash flow, create a cash reserve plan.
  
• If you’re worried about slow sales, strengthen your marketing funnel.
  
• If you’re scared of the unknown, get insurance, create a risk plan, talk to a mentor.
  

In short: fear can be a great motivator—if it leads to action.

Because whether it’s a fire, a flat tire, or a financial panic, it’s not fear that hurts us. It’s the lack of a plan.