“Don’t ever let somebody tell you…You can’t do something…You got a dream…You gotta protect it...If you want something’, go get it. Period.”
- Chris Gardner, "In Pursuit Of Happyness"
Fear of failure is one of the biggest challenges many people will face in their professional careers. It isn't a hurdle that one can easily overcome. Rather, because it stems from within, it takes a different set of skills and resources to work through. However, you can overcome your fear of failure - provided you follow my advice. Let me help you tackle that one hurdle that may be preventing you from growing professionally.
How to Overcome Fear of Failure: Break Your Goals Down into Smaller Steps
You’ve heard the adage that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and when it comes to conquering your fear of failure, it’s integral that you focus on the steps involved rather than the entire journey. For example, say you were a high school graduate who wanted to pursue a doctorate. If you only consider the amount of time and money involved in the endeavor, then it might seem like an impossible dream. But when you break the goal into smaller steps, like getting your bachelor’s degree, working toward your master’s degree, and then finally tackling the doctorate, the challenge is less intimidating.
How to Overcome Professional Anxiety: Use the Power of Positive Thinking and Visualization
As with most things, prevention is the best medicine when it comes to anxiety, and positive thinking and visualization techniques are two of the strongest tools in your arsenal when it comes to combating fear. The key to visualization is taking situations that scare you and imagining the obstacles you'll encounter, and the positive thinking is all about picturing yourself overcoming them and reminding yourself that you have the strength and skills to succeed.
How to Overcome Fear of Failure in a New Business: Take Stock of Your Accomplishments and Skills
Fear is like a ghost: as soon as you realize that it’s not real, the sooner it disappears. The best way to kill fear, therefore, is with confidence, because self-assurance is the polar opposite of the fear of failure. Instead of focusing on your weaknesses and the things that can go wrong, concentrate on your strengths and talents, and how these things will help you achieve the outcomes you're looking for.
How to Overcome Fear of Failure in Your Career: Re imagine Your Goals as a Challenge
The fear of failure can only exist when you view goals through the lens of winning and losing: if you succeed, then you’ve won, but if you fail, then you’ve lost. But when you re imagine your goals as a challenge instead of as a race or game, then you realize that there is no failure. Goals aren't carnival prizes that can be won or lost: they are objectives that you work toward gradually.
The fear of failure is a challenge that most people will face at some point in their professional lives, but this fear doesn’t have to cripple future opportunities. The keys to overcoming professional anxieties include concentrating on your skills instead of your weaknesses, breaking larger goals down into smaller steps, using visualization and positive thinking to keep fear in check, and re imagining goals and success as challenges to be worked toward rather than trophies that can be won or lost. With these techniques under your belt, the fear of failure will never again prevent you from pursuing your professional dreams or maximizing your potential.
Take the first step towards your dream by downloading our free eBook. See if you are ready for the next stage of your professional journey!
