Do you sometimes hear voices that say, “You’re going to fail anyway, what’s the point trying?”
Every single one of us knew what this felt like.
Perhaps, you’re standing at the edge of your comfort zone right now. And you’re afraid of what may unfold if you take the decisive step.
This is the fear of failure, and it’s real.
When this fear is not tamed, it can paralyze us from taking actions and keep us trapped in agony, frustration, stress, anxiety, and depression.
“Get over it” or “Just do something about it” kind of advice can’t help much. Your friends and family know only the tip of the iceberg. Even yourself, you don’t actually know your fear of failure enough. Not to mention, you do have the inner strengths to tame it.
That’s right.
You have untapped inner strengths to overcome the fear of failure and emerge stronger than you were before, regardless of who you are and what your situation is.
This is how you overcome the fear of failure by using what you already have.
How To Know If You Have Fear Of Failure?
“Know thyself — Socrates, a Greek philosopher.”
The more you understand your fear of failure, the less power it has on you. Yet, the vast majority of us don’t know how to confront our very own fears.
Don’t worry; it’s actually not as scary as it seems, and may be simpler than you think.
The first step is to observe if you have a fear of failure. Keep in mind that different fears may have different ways of overcoming it, so knowing the type of fear can help you decide the best strategies.
Do you have,
- The habit of perfectionism?
- Feelings of losing control or powerlessness?
- The habit of taking the safest way and avoiding failures?
- Low self-esteem?
- Uncontrollable worries?
- Inability to take risks or try new things?
- Inability to commit wholeheartedly to achieving your goals?
If you answer “yes” to one or more questions above, chances are, you have a fear of failure.
How To Overcome Fear Of Failure
It is nothing shameful to have a fear of failure. Every human on the planet has experienced fear at some point in their lives — including successful entrepreneurs, celebrities and even your role models.
The question is, how do they overcome their fear of failure?
One thing in common is that they turned inward to understand their fears.
Here’s the thing.
Any knowledge can’t help you if you don’t understand your own fears.
Only once you understand yourself, either by self-introspection or taking a personality assessment, then you can seek the right strategies to overcome your fear of failure.
A personality assessment is more accurate, but here are a few reflective questions to help you get started:
- What am I actually afraid of?
- Do I feel confident in my abilities?
- Am I trying to protect myself from a specific result? If so, what am I afraid of the outcome?
- In what situation made me felt this fear?
- Will this be my biggest regret if I die tomorrow? If so, what can I do right now to take one step closer?
Make Fear Of Failure Your Friend
In the end, fear is neither a positive or negative emotion. It exists to serve you, not to hold you back.
What you can do today is to look inward and understand yourself the way you’ve never done before.
So you can co-exist freely with your fear of failure and make it your supportive friend.
Recent Comments