The Biggest Obstacle: Fear of Failure

Olivia was highly educated and had great ideas to contribute to the success of her team, but she was not confident enough to share her thoughts with her boss. She was afraid of any negative outcomes and was living in her comfort zone. One day, her boss assigned a major task to her and she was not prepared for it. This time, she had no choice, but to strategize and put in her best efforts. She worked really hard and her team executed her plans well. Olivia realized that she could do bigger and better things in life, if she had not had any atychiphobia.

Some of us are so afraid of failing at something that we decided not to try it at all. Subconsciously, people tend to procrastinate or undermine their own efforts to avoid the possibility of a larger failure. Why are we afraid of failure? There are many reasons for this kind of behavior. It might be due to fear of unknown, anxiety issues, timidness, low self esteem, perfectionism, negative childhood experiences, fear of humiliation, shame, aggression, guilt and the list goes on. But any fear that becomes an obstacle to our success by stopping us from doing the things which we require to do needs to be tackled. Being fearless will set you free!

How do we overcome this fear? Identify the root cause and analyse it. For instance, if it is fear of water, go kayaking or if it is fear of heights, go to the terrace of a high rise building and look down. Face it boldly, just do it and you will overcome it. Being a perfectionist is hard, but managing it and understanding that everything is not black and white helps. Have a positive outlook at life, be optimistic and visualize success. Use decision tree and figure out the worst case scenario and if the potential outcome does not kill you, we can give it a try. Leaving the past behind is a good idea, live in the present and plan for the future. Always make a plan B and possibly a plan C and plan D. Contingency plans will increase confidence level as it keeps our doors open with several other options. If your plan A worked, you probably have done something great. If your plan A fails, treat it is as a learning opportunity. Prepare your mind to take calculated risks and embrace failures as much as you embrace success. A lot of the things, we worry about are not in our control and there is no reason for us to worry. So focus on things we can control and work on it. Some of our fears are irrational and it is highly unlikely that it can cause any harm. There is no point it being afraid of something like that. Think about it and make a conscious effort to take control over it. If you think you are not able to cope up with this alone, speak with your friends and family. Fear of failure may be part of another mood disorder or anxiety disorder, seek medical help, if required. Do not get discouraged by failed attempts, try again. Never ever give up!

Overcome your fears, live your life to the fullest! New beginnings, new scopes, new opportunities...

Wishing you success. Cheers!

Jaya