When in doubt, take action.

If there’s one thing entrepreneurs have learned to do well in this economy, it’s dance. We call it the entrepreneurial waltz, and it goes like this: One step forward, two steps back, two steps forward, one step back. And then repeat until you get that dizzying feeling that you’re not going anywhere other than around and around.

We’ve all been caught up in that dance more than once. But the longer we keep dancing, the easier it is to succumb to fear. Yes, fear — that evil feeling that stops us from moving forward. So what is fear? Well, according to Webster, it’s a distressing emotion brought on by impending danger, pain, concern or anxiety. It’s that dread of losing our business, money or property, and it can cause us to lose sight of the one thing we can’t afford to let go of — our purpose.

When we begin to fear, the first thing we seem to forget is the one reason we became entrepreneurs in the first place. Therefore, that’s the one thing we need to focus on every time fear creeps in the door. Focus on your purpose, and take action. After all, fear is nothing more than an opportunity to move forward.

I remember reading about an interview of Will Smith, who said “you gotta be motivated by fear.” He went on to say that our fear starts out as seemingly enormous, because we magnify that fear in our minds. But the second we take action upon it, it’s suddenly not as scary as we envisioned it. So here’s the most important part: we must make sure our actions are aligned with our purpose. Otherwise, any action we take can lead us further from our goal rather than toward it.

So the bigger the fear, the more massive your attack. Stop dancing around and use that energy to your advantage. And when you do, watch it melt like sugar in your coffee. Soon, you’ll be drinking fear for breakfast, and asking yourself what’s for lunch.