On Facing the Dragon

On the topic of facing your fears, the usual response is to make a plan or to jump in headfirst. I've always wondered if there was another way, an internal dialogue on what is holding you back. Is it a fear? Is it a habit? Is it regret? Maybe the thing about fear is to look at it as a challenge and draw your sword by barely lowering your shield. Maybe you need to be more knowledgeable about what you fear. As if by knowing the thing you fear will somehow help you reach the solution to the problem. Maybe another way to face a fear is to lessen the intensity of the fear. By saying it's no big deal, you reach a breaking point where you convince yourself that it actually is no big deal. But how do you reach that point? How do you go with instinct, when instinct batters against you and just the thought of doing something most people consider normal, terrifies you? Everyone has to face the dragon, there's no question of that. My question is, how do you prepare for battle? How do you strike the dragon down in victory?