Change can feel like standing at the edge of a cliff, staring out at something you can’t quite see yet.
I’ve felt that more times than I can count — when I left my job at 25, when I moved cities, even when I took on new kinds of writing work.
Fear was always there, trying to convince me to stay put. But what I’ve learned is that fear of change loses its power when you stop waiting for it to go away and take a step forward anyway.
Accept that fear is normal
Fear shows up any time life asks us to step into something new. It’s your mind’s way of trying to protect you, even when that protection keeps you stuck.
When I was thinking of leaving my job, I kept waiting for fear to leave before I acted. It didn’t. What I learned is that fear is part of the deal when things are changing.
It’s not about trying to eliminate it. It’s about making space for it without letting it decide what happens next.
Make the unknown less scary
Fear feeds on what we don’t know. When I thought about freelancing, it seemed like this giant cloud of uncertainty.
But the more I learned, the smaller that cloud became. I made a list of questions and went looking for answers.
How much could I realistically earn? What kinds of clients would I want to work with? What skills did I need to brush up on?
It’s not about solving every problem at once. It’s about chipping away at the mystery, piece by piece, until it feels less overwhelming.
Remember what’s on the other side
Fear makes you picture everything that could fall apart. What helped me was balancing that out with thoughts of what could go right.
When I imagined being able to choose my projects, or not commuting every day, or working from wherever I wanted, fear didn’t feel so loud.
Change almost always means giving something up, but it also means gaining something. Keep your eyes on both.
Stop waiting for the “right” moment
If I had waited for the perfect time to make a change, I’d probably still be waiting. Fear convinced me that if I could just get a little more prepared, or a little more confident, then I’d be ready.
But that day never arrived. What I found is that action comes first, and confidence follows.
Focus on small wins
Big changes can feel impossible when you’re staring at the whole thing.
But small wins add up faster than you think. When I started freelancing, every tiny success mattered. The first time someone hired me.
The first article I finished. The first payment I received. Those moments built my confidence piece by piece. It’s not about needing one giant victory.
Build a support system
Fear grows stronger when you keep it bottled up. What helped me most was talking to people I trusted — friends, other freelancers, people who knew what change felt like.
Sometimes they offered advice, but more often they just listened. That mattered more than anything. It’s not about surrounding yourself with people who tell you what to do.
Be okay with setbacks
I’d love to tell you that my path through change was smooth. It wasn’t. I’ve had clients ghost me, projects fall apart, months where money was tight.
At first, each setback felt like proof I’d made a mistake. But over time, I saw them as part of the process.
Setbacks don’t mean you’re failing. They mean you’re doing the work.
Pay attention to your reasons
When fear is loud, your reasons for making a change need to be louder. I kept coming back to mine: I wanted freedom, I wanted variety in my work, and I wanted to build something for myself.
When I felt scared, I reminded myself of those reasons. They gave me something to hold onto. It’s not about changing because you feel bored or restless.
That’s what keeps fear in check.
Give yourself permission to change your mind
One thing that helped lower my fear was realizing I wasn’t signing a contract with my future. I told myself, “Try this for a year. If it doesn’t work out, you can go back.”
That thought took so much pressure off. Change felt less like a one-way door. It’s not about making decisions that lock you into one path forever.
It’s about giving yourself room to explore, knowing you can adjust later. That flexibility helps fear lose some of its grip on your choices.
Practice self-kindness
Fear is tough enough without adding your own harsh voice to the mix. In the early days of freelancing, I beat myself up for feeling scared, for making mistakes, for not moving faster.
But that only made it harder. Over time, I learned to treat myself with the same patience I’d offer a friend. It’s not about pretending you have it all together.
That makes all the difference.
Keep your focus on what you can control
Fear loves to point out everything that’s outside your control — the economy, other people’s opinions, what might go wrong. I spent way too much time stressing about those things at first.
What helped was pulling my focus back to what I could do: pitch clients, improve my work, manage my time.
When you focus on what’s in your hands, fear feels a lot less powerful.
Change gets easier with practice
The first big change I made felt like the hardest thing in the world. But after that, each new change didn’t seem quite so scary.
I started to trust myself more. I saw that I could face fear and still move forward. That’s what made it easier the next time something shifted.
That knowledge makes fear quieter the next time change knocks at your door.
Summary:
I still feel fear whenever something big shifts in my life — that hasn’t magically disappeared. But what’s different now is that I don’t see fear as a stop sign.
I see it as a reminder that I’m stretching, trying, and growing. The tools I’ve shared here are what help me face change without letting fear make all the decisions.
The truth is, fear will always have something to say. The question is whether you let it decide where you go next — or whether you choose for yourself.