Do you ever want something but were afraid to try? Did you ever feel like you needed to speak up but were worried about the consequences? You’re not alone. Fear and courage flip back and forth like switches way too often for our own likes. However, this is a switch that we can control.

Choice, passion, motivation and necessity are four controllable elements that can help you flip the switch to courage more often.

What you may find is that when fear is pushing your courage aside it’s often because the objective seems too big or out of reach. The smartest thing you can do is to break it down into small tasks. If you tackle your goal through small bites then you will not only feel less overwhelmed, but you’ll make more progress in the long run.

Each time you achieve a little more, your courage will grow. It is often said that action is the antidote to fear.

Courage is within you and whether you realize it or not, you employ it every day. Your courage is beautiful when you let it express itself. Getting behind the wheel, choosing a new restaurant for lunch, speaking up in a meeting, disciplining your child and hitting the gym at five a.m. While these seem like basic life activities, each one of them requires courage. You’re already courageous enough to do what is necessary to perform as a highly functioning human being and responsible citizen. Now it’s time to put this courage to work toward anything else you want to try—one small step at a time.

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Kim Monaghan, PCC, RYT, CPBS is the owner of KBM Coaching & Consulting LLC, a boutique Human Resources Consulting and Career Coaching Firm serving a national clientele.