Have you ever heard of atychiphobia? The word looks a little scary doesn’t it? Atychiphobia is a technical term for something many of us suffer from; it is the fear of failure. Everyone hates to fail but for some people that fear is so strong, so powerful, it prevents them from moving forward and achieving the success and life they truly desire. Some people are so afraid to fail they refuse to try. However, failing to try is the only true failure.
We’re great at putting things off and making excuses as to why we can’t move forward, but that is just the way we express our fear. Fear of failure could actually be a fear of several different things. We may be worried about what others will think of us,of being judged or criticized. It may be that we don’t believe the outcome is possible or we don’t have enough belief in ourselves. Unfortunately, fear can prevent you from ever really knowing your true capabilities.
So how can you overcome fear and begin living the life of your dreams? Here is an approach that may work for you.
Own it. Embrace the fear. Acknowledge that it exist for you. Then, choose to move forward and commit to the outcome. Make fear you friend and not your enemy.
Clarify what YOU want. Have a clear vision of YOUR desired results. Do not worry about other people’s desires or expectations. Too often we seek to live a life that someone else wants for us. We end up unhappy and not living our intended purpose or up to our full potential. Fear of what they may think, especially if it is someone close to us like our parents, will hold us back. Once you clarify what you want you can begin to focus on the goals and actions steps needed. Doing this will motivate you to reach the outcome.
How would you feel if you don’t try. Do you want to look back on your life and say you never tried? Not taking action, not trying can often be more painful than the fear of failing. Many seniors regret the things they never tried, not the things they failed at.
What’s the worse that can happen. Take a minute and ask yourself, what is the worse thing that can happen? Could you survive that? Are you willing to take the risk? Most of the time the things we worry about never happen. Assess the risk and have a contingency plan. If you’re prepared for the worst, there’s no reason to fear failing. Once you know the potential outcomes, shift your mindset. Don’t think about everything that could go wrong, think about how it will go right. Believe it and convince yourself that you can’t fail. The power of positive thinking will significantly increase your chance of a successful outcome.
Do it. As the infamous Nike ads say – just do it. Step out of your comfort zone and just do it. Develop an action plan you can implement to achieve the desired outcome. As you begin to take action and you see the results, the fear will begin to disappear.
Break it down. If reaching the goal seems overwhelming, break the action plan into smaller steps tackling one portion at a time. Set small deadlines with easier tasks to complete. Along the path you may find you need to alter the goals as you may receive further clarification on what exactly you want as you learn more and more. Celebrate and reward yourself as you complete significant milestones.
Empower yourself. Surround yourself with people who support and believe in your dreams and goals. Wear t-shirts that have inspiring statements. I have several that I love to wear, with statements such as “Be Bold”, “Be Awesome” and “B.E.”. Join a group or mastermind such as the Infinity Coaching Inner Circle, that uplifts equips and motivates you to achieve your goals.
Your fear may never completely go away but it’s okay to be a little uncomfortable. Embrace the fear and let it become your friend not your enemy. Move forward in spite of it by having a solid plan of action. Remember the quote by American Christian televangelist, pastor, motivational speaker, and author, Robert H. Schuller, “Failure doesn’t mean you are a failure it just means you haven’t succeeded yet.” Until next time, here’s to your success!
Carolyn R. Owens has over 25 years of proven experience and serves as a Career Strategist, Leadership and Life Coach. She is the Chairwoman and CEO of Infinity Coaching, Inc. where they help you up-level your skills so you can up-level your income. Infinity Coaching, Inc. provides one-on-one and group coaching coaching, organizational training, personality assessments and a signature program, the Infinity Coaching Inner Circle. Find out more at https://infinitycoaching.net
