How can I use this week’s “On Cold Feet” prompts to understand why I hesitate and what courage could look like for me?

Try a two-part entry each day: 1) Name the moment: Describe a recent or upcoming situation where you feel cold feet. Note the trigger (A), body sensations (B), and thoughts (C). 2) Reframe with a quote: Pick one quote and respond in 3–5 lines. For example: • Goethe—“Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must”: What part of this moment can be enjoyed now, and what must simply be endured? • Dickinson—“Till I loved I never lived.”: What value or love (for yourself, others, or your craft) is pulling you forward? • Nietzsche—“chaos…dancing star”: What creative energy might be hidden inside your nerves? Close with a courage check: On a 0–10 scale, what level of courage is available today, and what 1% action matches that number? Capture it in Stoic to see patterns over the week.

I freeze because I overthink outcomes. What’s a simple journaling flow to shift from spiraling to one small, brave step?

Use a 5–5–5 flow: • Five lines worst-case (realistic, not catastrophic). • Five lines best-case (Thoreau: treat the world as your canvas—paint it). • Five lines most-likely. Then choose a “cold-feet plan”: One tiny step you could do in under 10 minutes that reduces uncertainty (send an email draft, outline three bullets, ask one clarifying question). Add an “If–Then” line: If I feel X (e.g., heart racing), then I will do Y (e.g., 4 slow breaths + re-read my most-likely). Finish with Goethe’s reminder—“Magic is believing in yourself”—and write one sentence of self-belief. Log this in Stoic after tough decision windows so you can compare intentions with outcomes.

How do I journal about times I backed out without shaming myself, and still learn from it?

Use a compassionate debrief. 1) Self-kindness: Write three sentences beginning with “I was trying to protect…” (Juno Dawson’s reminder: you are equally valid as you are). 2) Extract the lesson: What information did that hesitation give you—skills missing, timing, boundaries, values? 3) Convert to a redo: Is there a safer re-entry? Smaller scope, more support, clearer ask. 4) Service angle (de Beauvoir): How might acting next time benefit someone else, not just me? End with two lines: • What my fear protected: ____ • What it cost: ____ • What I choose now: ____. Revisit this template in Stoic for any “almosts” this week to turn them into informed, humane next steps.

On Cold Feet

This week, we’ll explore what holds us back, and how we can find the courage.

Jul 07, 2025 ― Jul 13, 2025

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