The 5 percent rule

Behavioral psychologists will tell you that one way to overcome a fear of something is to gradually desensitize yourself to it.

So, if you're afraid of swimming you first fill your googles with water, then you splash around on the edge, and then you wade in, slowly going from foot deep, to knee-deep, to neck deep, to submersion.

Which is easy enough when you're in the water with an instructor, but what about when we're not? What if you're flying solo and have to 'wade in' by ourselves?

Here's a thought: what would 5 percent look like?

If you were 5% braver or calmer or more capable--what would it look like, what would you do?

Once you've gone 5%, you can go another 5, and then another. But no matter what, all you're doing is going just 5 percent.

A little incremental discomfort. That's all it is. A teeny tiny bit. That's what makes it work.