The fear of failure has killed more dreams than all other fears combined. The fear of failure is insidious because it’s largely in your imagination. It can also prevent you from even trying in the first place, which guarantees failure.
It’s interesting that very small children have no concept of failure. They couldn’t care less if they failed to do something. They just try again. There are no negative thoughts or emotions involved. They just keep on going.
But it doesn’t take long before children learn to fear the opinions of others. It’s usually around the time they start school. After that first day of school, we’re all changed forever.
It might not be possible to recapture the mentality of a toddler, but you can come close.
The fear of failure doesn’t have to impact your life significantly.
Consider these facts:
1. Failure is temporary — unless you quit. Failure isn’t final unless you give up. All the most successful people have experienced a lot of failure. But they ended up being successful precisely because they didn’t quit. Failure is just a temporary state that means nothing because it’s only temporary.
2. Failure is common. You’ve failed thousands of times and managed to survive. Consider how many times you failed to walk or to talk well. Babies constantly fail, but still continue to try.
- Successful people fail all the time. It’s a huge part of how human beings learn. We realise that our approach didn’t work, we adjust, and we try again.
3. Failure is educational. You can learn something from every single one of your failures. Failure makes you more knowledgeable and capable. The more you fail, the stronger you become.
4. Others are far less concerned about your failure than you think. A few people might notice your failure, but they quickly turn their attention back on themselves and their own challenges.
- There’s nothing to worry about. Feel free to fail as much as necessary. Fail enough, and you’ll quickly see that no one relevant cares.
5. Focus on how great it will be when you succeed. Instead of worrying about possible failure, consider possible success. Make yourself feel excited and positive about taking action.
This content is only available to subscribers
Subscribe now and have access to all our stories, enjoy exclusive content and stay up to date with constant updates.
Unlock contentAlready have an account? Sign In
