Have you ever crossed a river on a fallen tree? It’s delicate business. If the tree is wide and just a bit above a narrow stream, then it’s no big deal, right? Now imagine a skinny log bridge high above a raging torrent. That’s a lot scarier, because the stakes of failure are much higher.

Wilderness trips in the Pacific Northwest present my climbing team with occasional challenges like this. When I face a scary challenge, my first instinct steers me to do exactly the wrong thing — l look straight down, focus on my next step, and focus on the problem. I think it’s common for our brains to conspire against us like this when the stakes are high.

Many years ago, I literally froze in fear while crossing a steep ravine immediately above a cliff band. The more I focused on the problem, the more “stuck” I seemed to be. I feared if I moved, I would slide, but if I stayed in that spot, I would surely slide down and over the cliff. I’ve never felt so much fear.

A more effective approach to facing danger is to focus on the outcome. Pick a point on the other side of the danger, and focus on where you want to go — look across, not down at your feet. Then something magical happens! Your posture gets more athletic, your balance improves, and your brain takes care of the details in between.

So what happened in that ravine? Several teammates, trying to help, offered me loads of encouragement and advice, but my teammate Craig recognized that my impediment wasn’t a lack of advice, it was inside my head. He quieted my teammates and patiently waited a few long seconds for me to quiet my mind. I let go of the scary thoughts of failure and focused instead on Craig’s feet (where I needed to go), and then powered twenty steps across to safety.

The ravine scenario is a fitting metaphor for the challenges we face at work and in life. I recognize lately some of you showing that dangerous inward focus down at your feet, your dangers, your troubles and the implications of failure. Ironically, this negative cycle actually increases your risk and the likelihood of misstep.

Next time you feel a nagging doubt and you hear your brain conspiring against you with negative inward chatter, like, “Don’t go, you might fail, don’t move, keep your mouth shut, etc.,” try the opposite. Focus on the other side. Focus on the outcome. Focus on your teammate. It just might save your life!