Is Fear Holding You Back?

Many of us fear failing so much that we don't do anything new or too far out of our comfort zone. But even worse than failing at something, is not even giving it a try. Imagine all the things you miss out on!

This irrational and persistent fear of failure actually has a name - atychiphobia, and it's the?result of life experiences that cause a deep rooted belief that?the worst thing you can do is fail. But in reality if?you?don't fail it means you're not trying and if you're not trying, you are not growing, and if you are not growing, you are stagnating. As you can see, it's a spiral that only really leaves you with one choice - assuming of course that you want to continue growing and thriving.??

Why do we fear failure?

The most common reason?people hold themselves back when they are prompted to try something new is because there's uncertainty around the outcome. We find uncertainty stressful and because of this we want to avoid it at all costs. This is how?most of us are conditioned, because we want?to protect ourselves from the possibility of anything going wrong. But often, it's?is?not even about the fear of failure itself, but rather a fear of?the negative emotion that we have associated to failure. We think we will experience pain because of how others may see us.?It has been shown that social rejection and physical pain have the same processing systems in the brain, so no wonder we try to avoid it!

The reality is that whenever you do something, there?is no way of knowing if you will succeed, and therefore?there is a very real risk of failure. But it has been proven time and time again that those who are willing to take?risks are more successful. This is why?risk-taking is a critical skill. Here are a few mindset shifts you can make to stop letting a fear of failure control your success.?

Accept that every risk has the potential of failure. It's a part of life. It's how we learn. The question to ask yourself is how do you interpret failure??Listen to your inner voice. What are you really avoiding??

Remove the emotional attachment.?The emotions you attach to failure are all in your mind, so you can actually just let them go. If you start a small business and it doesn't work, it?doesn't mean you are a failure or inadequate, so don't give it airtime!?Be vulnerable and see what you can learn from it..

Strengthen your risk-taking muscle.?This doesn't mean doing things that?put your life at risk, it just means getting out of your comfort zone and challenging yourself. Thinking things through and being inspired by a larger vision and will?get you closer to where you want to go.

What small risk can you take today to practice letting go of the fear, the attachment, the emotions and the "story" you tell yourself?

And of course, if you would like?to develop a mindset for healthier living,?contact me for a free 15-minute discovery call to see if wellness?coaching is for you.