Why You Have the Fear of Failure (And How to Overcome It)
Fear of failure can be so strong that avoiding failure eclipses the motivation to succeed. Here’s how you can use failure to your advantage instead of letting it run your life.Fear of failure is part of human nature. Insecurity about doing things incorrectly causes many to unconsciously sabotage their chances for success
What Is Fear of Failure?
If you are afraid of failure, it will cause you to avoid potentially harmful situations
- Fear of failure keeps you from trying, creates self-doubt, stalls progress, and may lead you to go against your morals
- What causes a fear of failure?
High Achievers Become Losers
Successful people like to win and achieve high standards
- When a positive trait, like achievement, becomes too strong in someone’s life, it’s on the way to becoming a major obstacle
- The simplest way to do this is never to take a risk, stick rigidly to what you know you can do, protect yourself, work the longest hours, double and triple check everything, and be the most conscientious and conservative person in the universe
Figure out Where the Fear Comes From
Ask yourself: what the root cause of your negative belief could be
Look at the Worst-Case Scenario
In most cases, a failure is not permanent.
- Even in the worst-case scenario, a perceived failure could be the launching point for a new business, and it’s okay to change your strategy and rebound
- Remember, failure is a learning experience.
Unhealthy Organization Culture
Organizations today have cultures of perfection: a set of organizational beliefs that any failure is unacceptable
- The constant covering up of even the smallest blemishes in an organization creates stress and terror
- Lying, cheating, falsification of data, and hiding of problems
Have a Backup Plan
Having a backup plan gives you more confidence and allows you to take calculated risks
- There are usually multiple ways to tackle a problem, so having a backup is a great way to reduce anxiety about possible failure
- Don’t be afraid to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst
Miss out on Valuable Opportunities
Many fail because of their ego-driven commitment to what worked in the past
- They shy away from further innovation, afraid that this time they might fail, diminishing the luster they try to keep around their names from past triumph
- Why take the risk when you can hang on to your reputation by doing nothing?
Visualize all potential outcomes
Think about the best and worst-case scenarios
- Weigh the pros and cons, and imagine potential successes and failures
- Knowing how things could turn out might help you get unstuck
- Take time to visualize the possible outcomes of your decision
Learn From Whatever Happens
“Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.” Dig deep enough, and you’re bound to find the silver lining.
Final thoughts
To overcome fear of failure, we can start by figuring out where it comes from and reframing the way we feel about failure.
- When failure is a chance for growth, and you’ve looked at all possible outcomes, it’s easier to overcome fear.
Loss of Creativity
Over-achievers destroy their own peace of mind and the lives of those who work for them
- Those whose values for building close relationships become unbalanced slide into smothering their friends and family with constant expressions of affection and demands for love in return
- Everyone likes to succeed, but the problem comes when fear of failure is dominant
- The more creative you are, the more errors you are going to make
- Balance counts more than you think
- A little selfishness is valuable even in the most caring person
- Failure is essential to preserve everyone’s perspective on success
Reframe Beliefs About Your Goal
Have a clear vision for what you’d like to accomplish but include learning something new in your goal
- Always aim for improvement and learning
- At Pixar, people are encouraged to “fail early and fail fast” so that they can stay on the cutting edge
- All stumbling blocks are just opportunities to grow
Learn to Think Positive
Your internal dialogue affects how you behave and behave. Recognize that even the most successful people encounter failure.
- Replace negative thoughts with positive facts about yourself and the situation to create a new mental scripts that you can reach for when you feel negativity creeping in.