Drawing on Courage: Taking Risks and Standing for What Matters Through Your Mental Operating System
Written by Eric Deniger — multiple-time Inc. 500 CEO, U.S. Army veteran (Operation Desert Storm), and founder of Focused Systems. Eric spent 25 years building and scaling companies before turning those systems into the frameworks used in this article. Read Eric's full story and credentials →
How we use this: Every framework in this article is drawn from the same Neuro-Logical Levels and systems-based coaching methodology Eric uses with real clients. See what professionals are saying →
If you’ve ever wondered how to build courage instead of just waiting to feel brave, Ashish Goel’s Drawing on Courage is a practical, illustrated guide to overcoming fear and taking meaningful action in creative work and life. Drawing from his experience at Stanford’s d.school, Goel breaks courage down into actionable components and shows how to move forward even when fear is present.
The book explores how fear often blocks us from starting, giving feedback, changing direction, or standing up for what matters. It emphasizes that courage isn’t the absence of fear — it’s acting in alignment with your values despite fear. Through simple frameworks and visual storytelling, Goel provides tools to clarify what’s worth fighting for, take the first step, and persist through uncertainty.
How Drawing on Courage Strengthens the Focused Systems Mental Operating System
This book aligns strongly with Focused Systems’ focus on Master Your Mindset and taking intentional action aligned with your deeper values.
Many people know what they want to do but get stuck because of fear, overthinking, or waiting for the “perfect” moment. Drawing on Courage reinforces that meaningful progress requires moving through fear by connecting action to your values. This mirrors the Focused Systems emphasis on operating from identity and purpose rather than reacting to discomfort.
The book supports several key areas of the Focused Systems approach:
Master Your Mindset: Goel’s distinction between fear and values helps reframe resistance. This pairs directly with 6-Step Reframing when fear arises and building the resilience needed to take courageous steps.
Clarify & Align: The book stresses defining what matters to you (your values) before acting. This connects beautifully with reviewing your Personal Mission Statement and using Neuro-Logical Levels to ensure your actions align with who you are and what you stand for.
Install Daily Systems: Courage becomes easier when supported by structure. The Focused Systems Planner and Personal PAL (S3) are excellent tools for breaking courageous actions into small, scheduled steps and tracking progress.
Above-the-Line Ownership: Standing for what matters and taking risks requires ownership. This supports the Focused Systems principle of taking responsibility for your direction instead of waiting for circumstances to change.
When you combine Ashish Goel’s insights with the Focused Systems methodology, courage stops being a rare personality trait and becomes something you can systematically develop and act on.
How to Install Drawing on Courage Ideas Into Your Focused Systems System
Here are practical ways to apply the book:
Clarify Your Values Before Acting
When facing a decision or opportunity that feels scary, use your Planner to quickly identify: “What value is this connected to?” This makes courageous action feel more purposeful.
Break Courageous Actions into Small Steps
Use your Personal PAL (S3) to turn big, intimidating moves into small, doable actions. Courage compounds when you take consistent small steps.
Use Reframing When Fear Appears
Apply 6-Step Reframing to separate the fear from the action. Ask: “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?” Then schedule the first step.
Track Courageous Moments
Use the Evidence Log to record times when you acted despite fear. This builds Positive Expectancy and shows you that you’re capable of courageous action.
Stand for Something in Your Reviews
During Weekly Huddles or Quarterly Reviews, reflect on: “Where did I stand up for what matters this week?” This keeps values-driven courage alive in your system.
Design Your Environment for Action
Make it easier to act courageously by removing friction in the Planner (e.g., blocking time for important but scary conversations or projects).
The Focused Systems Difference
Many people read books about courage and feel inspired in the moment, but still freeze when fear returns. In Focused Systems, we turn courage into repeatable systems.
When you install the principles from Drawing on Courage into the Focused Systems Planner, values alignment work, and regular reflection rhythms, you create a Mental Operating System that helps you take risks worth taking and stand for what matters — consistently and sustainably.
Courage isn’t something you wait to feel.
It’s something you build by aligning your actions with your values and installing systems that make forward progress easier.
Keep Building Your Operating System
The Seven Crucibles: Turning Adversity into Strength Through Your Mental Operating System — for when the fear you’re facing is bigger than a single decision.
Insight: Building Powerful Self-Awareness in Your Mental Operating System — self-awareness is what makes it possible to tell fear and values apart in the first place.
Millionaire Success Habits: Installing the Daily Behaviors of High Achievers Through Your Mental Operating System — if fear and self-doubt are what’s blocking your daily habits, this post pairs the same 6-Step Reframing process with a full daily-habits system.