I recently chatted with a friend outside the film industry. He struggles with self-sabotage right before achieving his goals. He wanted my secret: what keeps me motivated and focused? While I haven’t reached my ultimate success level yet, I shared the only advice that felt true to me: I use fear as a motivator.
This approach has been ingrained in me since my teenage years. Back then, my biggest fear was being ordinary. So, most of my life decisions and risks stemmed from that fear. As I grew older, this fear fueled my journey: starting a business, traveling the world, living on a sailboat, building a camper van to explore the country, spending three years in South America – the list goes on.
Then, at the end of 2022, I lost my 20-year job. It was a turning point. The fear of regret, of not chasing my acting dream, pushed me to move to Atlanta and finally take the leap. Every day, that same fear drives me to keep going. It’s my hope that it will take me where I want to be.
While I wasn’t sure if this was the answer my friend was looking for, he said it helped. That’s why I’m sharing it – maybe it can help someone else too.
Simon Shih 