There’s not a lot to fear if you’re living in a first-world country. Typically, we don’t have to worry about wars, famine, plagues, animals that eat us, and dictators.
But, even so… fear is just part of the human condition.
Somehow, we will always find something to be fearful about.
The fear of failure is a common fear that most people have experienced. We don’t like to appear inadequate in front of others.
Unfortunately, if you are not willing to risk failure, your life is going to be very limited.
Therefore, learning to deal with the fear of failure is definitely worth your time.
Most people avoid situations where they might fail.
I see so many people every day who just won’t take that chance. They won’t risk failure and so they’re frozen right where they are at this moment.
That just means you’ll have less competition if you can get over your fear.
Here are some strategies that can help you refuse to allow the fear of failure to limit your life:
1 – Define your fear.
What exactly are you afraid of?
Are you worried about being laughed at by your peers? Would you feel bad about yourself if you failed? Are you worried that you’ll never be successful? Define your fear.
2 – Redefine failure.
What is failure to you?
Is it an inescapable and permanent result? Is it a sign that you’re incapable or inadequate?
A healthier definition of failure is that it’s just an undesired result.
You took a guess and you were wrong. You can learn from that result and do better on your next attempt. That’s not so bad.
3 – Visualize success.
Rather than imagining yourself failing, imagine yourself being successful.
Take five minutes a few times each day and imagine yourself succeeding. Notice how great it feels and focus on that feeling.
Give your brain more images of success than of failure. In time, you’ll grow to expect to be successful.
4 – Consider the worst-case scenario.
What is the worst that can happen? Can you handle it? Of course, you can.
Figure out what you would do if you had to deal with the worst possible outcome.
Once you’re certain you can handle the worst, there’s nothing left to worry about.
5 – Remember your past failures.
You’ve overcome thousands of failures in your life.
How many times did you fail while learning to walk? To talk?
And yet here you are. You survived.
We fail in small ways every day and yet the sun still rises the next day. The world will go on.
6 – Become comfortable with discomfort.
The thought of failure is uncomfortable, but that doesn’t mean you have to allow it to influence your actions.
The uncomfortable sensations of any negative emotions are just suggestions. You get to choose how you’re going to respond.
7 – Start small.
If you’re too uncomfortable to move forward with your plans, just start small.
Take a small action and notice that you’re still okay.
Tomorrow you can take a slightly bigger step.
In no time at all, you’ll be taking massive action toward your goals.
8 – Consider what will happen if you allow your fear to stop you.
Imagine yourself 20 years from now having not taken this risk.
How will you feel about that? You’ll almost certainly regret it.
Think back to your high school days. Remember that boy or girl you were too afraid to speak to? How do you feel about that now? You know that you’d muster up the courage if you could do it again.
We always regret the things we didn’t do more than the things we did.
How much has the fear of failure impacted your life?
It’s okay to be afraid, but it’s a little silly if you have a good understanding of failure.
What’s not okay is to allow your fear of failure to keep you out of the game.
Your life is passing by. Please don’t let this be you. Refuse to allow fear to get in your way. You only have one life to live.
Seriously… you’ve got this! You can do it. And don’t ever doubt it!
So, now I want to hear from you! What are you afraid of? What ways have you found to overcome the fears that you’ve come across. Please share in the comments below.
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