🧠 Fear Is Not an Excuse

The Underdog Playbook – Episode 3

Let’s get something straight right now:
Everybody feels fear.

If you’re reading this thinking, “I’m scared to speak up,” or “I’m nervous to start,”—good. That means you’re human.
But the truth is, fear isn’t the problem. Excusing yourself because of it is.

This week on The Underdog Playbook, we’re calling it what it is—and then running straight at it.

🚨 Everyone Feels Fear

You’re not broken for being scared.
You’re not soft for hesitating.
Fear is survival—it’s biology.

The issue?
Most people hand fear the keys and let it drive.

Think about the last time you backed off something:

• A dream you sat on.

• A hard conversation you dodged.

• A bold move you talked yourself out of.

Ask yourself—did fear get the final word?
If so, that changes today.

🧱 How Fear Becomes a Crutch

Here’s where fear gets sneaky:
It doesn’t always sound like panic.
It sounds like “logic.”

You say things like:

• “I’ll start when I’m ready.”

• “I’ll launch once I’m more confident.”

• “I’m waiting for the right time.”

But those aren’t real reasons.
They’re excuses dressed up as wisdom—and fear is the tailor.

The longer you wait for the perfect moment, the harder it gets to act.

And before you know it, five years pass… and the idea you had at 22 is still sitting in your notes app.
But not us. Not the underdogs.
We feel the fear—and we go anyway.

🐺 Real Underdogs Run Toward the Roar

Let me hit you with something that stuck with me:

“Run toward the roar.”

In the wild, lions hunt by playing on fear.
The old lions—too slow to chase—stand and roar while the others wait in silence.

The prey runs away from the sound…
right into the trap.

But the ones who run toward the roar?
They live.

Same thing in life.
The “roar” is the conversation you’re avoiding.
The business you keep postponing.
The gym you say you’ll go to next week.

Run toward it.
That’s where freedom is.

🛠 4 Tools to Push Through Fear

Let’s get practical.
Here are four tools you can use today to stop letting fear run the show:

1. Name It

Call it out.
Say exactly what you’re afraid of—out loud or on paper.

• Rejection?

• Looking stupid?

• Losing money?

Fear thrives in silence. Break that silence.

2. Shrink the Moment

You don’t have to win the war—just take the next step.

“I’m not building an empire today.
I’m just sending one email.”

Lower the stakes so you can get moving.

3. Borrow Confidence

You’ve done hard things before. Remind yourself.

“I’ve faced fear before.
I’m still here.
I’m capable of doing it again.”

Confidence isn’t magic—it’s memory.

4. Create Pressure

Post the plan. Tell a friend. Commit publicly.

When quitting becomes inconvenient, follow-through becomes likely.

💥 Underdog Challenge of the Week

Here it is:

Do one thing you’ve been avoiding because of fear.
Big or small. Private or public. Doesn’t matter.

• Make the call.

• Post the idea.

• Start the first rep.

• Have the talk.

Don’t overthink it. Don’t wait.
Just take the snap—and run the damn play.

🎙️ The Wrap-Up

Fear will always be there.
But it doesn’t get to decide who you become.

You do. You always have.

This is the underdog way:
Feel it. Face it. Rise anyway.

🧢 Subscribe to the podcast, drop a review if this hit home, and share it with someone stuck in fear.

🛒 Gear and fresh posts at theunderdogplaybook.com

Stay humble. Stay hungry.
And always—play like you’re behind.