15 tips for jumping out of planes & slaying dragons

I was a public speaking coach for about ten years. In my workshops and coaching sessions, I encouraged people who were afraid of public speaking to “feel the fear and do it anyway,” which, having once been shy to the point of paralysis and of course also terrified of public speaking, I had done myself. In fact, I have made it a bit of a life practice to feel the fear and do it anyway, slaying various personal dragons as I go.

In February 2007, for example, as part of a fundraising initiative associated with breast cancer and a dogsledding trip to the Arctic (another story!) I decided to jump out of a plane, despite being super uncomfortable with heights.

I love to discover lessons in things I do, circumstances in which I find myself, and stuff that happens around me. Here are some “feel the fear” tips, which are demonstrated in the three-minute video below, and which work equally well for a diversity of dragon slaying situations:

15 tips for jumping out of planes & slaying dragons

1. Step out of your comfort zone
2. Learn what you need to know
3. Solicit and listen to expert advice
4. Enlist cheerleaders (ignore naysayers!)
5. Feed yourself positive energy
6. Reframe your fear as excitement
7. Get in the plane and don’t look down
8. Strap yourself to someone you trust
9. Have a solid support team around you
10. Breathe
11. Feel the fear and do it anyway
12. Focus on fun and excitement, not on fear
13. Jump!
14. Enjoy the ride (it will be over before you know it)
15. Repeat until it becomes a part of the way you engage life

5 bonus tips:

1. wear pink
2. smile and laugh
3. pick a clear and sunny day to start
4. don’t eat too much beforehand
5. open your eyes and celebrate

Here’s what following the tips looks like in real life: