Have you ever NOT done something because you were afraid of falling on your face and looking stupid?
Do you find yourself thinking about what others might think of you if you try something new and daring?
Fear of failure is nothing new. I'd wager at least 99.99% of humans feel it at one point or another.
It's deeply ingrained and powerful.
But it doesn't have to be.
No one is born with a fear of failure. Somewhere along the way, you simply learned that it was safer to not try (and thus avoid failing), than to suffer the consequences of said hypothetical failure.
No doubt, it's a scary thing. The scariest part is that by preventing failure, you're also sabotaging any success you might have had.
Q: So what is there to do about it?
A: Change your mind.
As you may have heard me say once, twice, or 50 times, is that all our automatic behaviors & emotions (including fear) reside in the subconscious mind, which holds onto 85-90% of our total mind power. No amount of reason or logic will get rid of fear, because logic only holds the remaining 5-10% of our mind power, which isn't enough to overcome it.
Still with me smarty-pants? Good!
Now, a healthy amount of apprehension and wariness in goal-achievement can be a good thing, to keep you in check and make sure you stay safe (ish), but it's a very slippery slope into analysis paralysis, overwhelm, and eventually, giving up on your goals and dreams (which, by the way, is also a sort of failure too).
Here are 4 ways to eliminate the fear of success (and in turn, achieve amazing success):
1) Re-frame What "Failure" Is:
If you choose to see your "failures" as learning experiences or ah-ha moments, tweaking and adjusting here and there and pushing forward, then you'll look back on your journey thankful for each and every time you were able to fail learn. Promise. A good way to practice this, is when a problem comes up, stop focusing on the problem itself, and instead, think of possible solutions. This will keep you moving forward and positive, and prevent you sinking into overwhelm and getting down on yourself and/or your goal.
You can also stop kidding yourself that failure is the opposite of success; it's part of your success. No question. The most successful person you can think of has undoubtedly had many learning experiences before achieving their dreams.
Let me tell you a story: When I was a kid, I wanted so badly to be a veterinarian. I was obsessed with it. Needless to say, I did not fulfill that goal. And holy-crap am I glad! I love what I do, but if I'd have held that goal too tight, I would never have opened to the possibility that there was something that I'd be even more passionate about!
2) Don't Strangle-Hold Your Goal:
A lot of times, when our perfectionism kicks in and something happens that doesn't go exactly to plan, we view that as a failure and kick ourselves for who knows what. Stop it!
Allow yourself to evolve. Allow your goal to evolve and continue to light you up!
3) Do NOT Compare Yourself To Others:
This is a really quick and effective way to make you feel super crappy about all your achievements and hard work. It's said a lot, but not enough because so many people fall victim to this (myself included!). You are unique. Your message and your voice is unlike anyone else's. This is your strength; this is your advantage. Use it!
4) Keep. Moving. Forward.:
This one's simple. When in doubt, keep doing what you're doing (or something better).
Do.
Not.
Stop.
You never know how close you actually are to achieving your goal!
Fear comes up when we face an unknown experience (just like when you rode a bike for the first time, went on a first date, etc.). The fear is designed to keep you "safe", whether physically, mentally, or spiritually, but fear doesn't always equal danger. It just means stepping out of your comfort zone. Which as you probably know, is a catalyst to any success.
Remind yourself often that you are already on your path to success, and anything you do to stay genuine and passionate will only get you there faster. Get uncomfortable. You'll be so glad you did.
Setbacks are part of the success journey, just as rocks in the river cause disruption in the flow of the water. The water does not stop, dwell and fret that there is a rock in it's path, it finds a way around and over the rock, continuing on it's path.
Be like the water. And may all your journeys to goal success flow easy and effortless!
