Fear is a double-edged sword. It can hold you back or drive you forward. When you feel unnecessarily immobilized by fear, use these tips to harness its positive power. Remember, courage is not the absence of fear; it is taking action in spite of the fear.

1. Ask yourself, 'What would I do if I knew I could not fail?'

2. Start a success journal. Write about your hopes and dreams. Getting it down on paper will make it more real.

3. Tell yourself every day that fear is part of the process. Expect to encounter it, and plan for it so that it will not prevent you from moving ahead.

4. Consider where you are today as just a 'temporary' stopping place. Use the fear to catch your breath. Lean into it. Then use its force to carry you forward.

5. Ask yourself what the payoff is for being stuck and what price you'll pay if you stay stuck.

6. Ask for help when you need it. We all need help at one time or another. Use your support system of family and friends. Seek help from other professionals.

7. Cut your goal into smaller steps so you are ready when you get your second, third, or fourth wind. It may be that you need to cut the next step down to the right size. None of us got to where we are today in one giant leap!

8. List your 'Yeah But's' then re-but them one by one!

9. Get ready to get ready. Finish this sentence: If I were ready, I would do ________ next. Sometimes just acknowledging the next step helps us get unstuck.

10. Collect inspiring stories about people who have succeeded despite great odds. Reread them for courage when the going gets tough. Everyone has tough times; successful people have strategies for getting through them.

11. Make a collage of your dreams come true. Post it in a prominent place at home or work. Take one small step toward it every day.

12. Dare to dream big dreams. Life shrinks or expands in proportion to your dreams. In the end its more painful not to live your dreams than to go through the discomfort of achieving them.