Overcoming fear of failure – 3 simple ways

Many of us are afraid of failing, it is a normal part of human nature.

But when you allow that fear to stop you from going after your goals, you need to have a little chat with yourself.

Fear of failure can make you controlling, rigid and inflexible.  You become blind to opportunities and possibilities because you *think* things should only be a certain way.

How to overcome the fear of failure

It is possible to overcome your fear of failure by challenging your existing mindset and stretching your comfort zone.

1. Reassess your goals

Take a look at the goals you set for yourself.  When your goals are too ambitious, or when you have too many goals, you are setting yourself up for failure.  You lose confidence in your abilities to be successful when you struggle to achieve the goals you set for yourself.  It causes you to give up before you even start.

2. Be kinder to yourself

We all have a critical inner voice, that can be judgmental, negative and disapproving of us.  Your inner critic is supposed to keep you safe and to stop you from engaging in dangerous activities.  Your upbringing and environment can be the cause of an especially mean and cruel inner critic. Realize that you can separate yourself from your inner critic and that you can learn to be kinder and more supportive of yourself.

3. Stop resisting, simply surrender and feel the fear

When you try to not feel fear or discomfort by resisting, you end up procrastinating AND, you are actually creating more fear and discomfort.  Take a deep breath, release the resistance and be open. To surrender means to stop fighting with life as it is right now, and to stop trying to force it to be something different.

It’s not the failure you fear

We aren’t afraid of failing.  We are afraid of what will happen when we fail.  

You can literally freak yourself out by the stories you tell yourself, or the pictures you make in your head.

Fortunately, even if you struggle with your fear of failure, you are not doomed to a life of disappointment. Like many things, it is something about yourself that you can work on, and change.