A structured exercise for examining fear — adapted from Tim Ferriss & Stoic philosophy
Most people do goal-setting. Almost nobody does its opposite — fear-setting: systematically defining, examining, and stress-testing the fears that are keeping them stuck. The Stoics called this premeditatio malorum — the premeditation of evils. Fear thrives in abstraction. Write it down and it shrinks.
Before you begin
Define · What if I did this?
Write down the worst-case scenarios if you took the action. Be specific. Then ask: what could I do to prevent each one? And if it happened anyway, what would I do to repair it?
| Fear | Prevention — What could I do to reduce the likelihood? | Repair — If the worst happened, what would I do? | Is this fear actually permanent? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fear 1 | |||
| Fear 2 | |||
| Fear 3 | |||
| Fear | Prevention — What could I do to reduce the likelihood? | Repair — If the worst happened, what would I do? | Is this fear actually permanent? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fear 1 | |||
| Fear 2 | |||
| Fear 3 | |||
Upside · What if it goes well?
If you took this action and it went even moderately well, what would the benefits look like? This rebalances the risk/reward picture you've been distorting in your head.
| Even partial success would mean… | The person I'd become… | What would I regret NOT trying? |
|---|---|---|
Inaction · What if I do nothing?
This is often the most powerful page. What does your life look like if you don't make this move? Inaction has a cost that compounds — and most people chronically underweight it.
| Timeframe | Emotional cost | Career / financial cost | Opportunities missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 months | |||
| 1 year | |||
| 3 years |
Resolution
After completing this exercise, my conclusion is:
The one thing I'll do in the next 72 hours:
Based on Tim Ferriss, The 4-Hour Workweek and TED Talk: "Why you should define your fears instead of your goals." Original Stoic concept: premeditatio malorum.