Overcome Your Fear of Failure and Succeed!

26 Mar Overcome Your Fear of Failure and Succeed!

Once you acknowledge that fear is the main thing that’s holding you back, you can finally take control of your life. What’s holding you back from becoming an Entrepreneur?  Wait… don’t tell me. I already know.  If you’re anything like most would-be entrepreneurs I’ve talked to, you’re afraid.  Yes, you, with the big dreams, the killer ideas, and the jaw-droppingly impressive skill set.  You’re a scaredy-cat. Hey, that’s nothing to be ashamed of.  I was scared to leave the Paycheck Comfort Zone for 30 years – to don’t worry, fear is in everyone.

Fear of failure is extremely common, especially among us entrepreneurs.  And with everything going on right now, there’s more fear swirling around than ever. With businesses closing, layoffs, and furloughs, your fear of the uncertainty that lies ahead is totally justifiable. 

Instead, maybe you tend to come up with excuses for why you don’t take the leap and head out on your own. You might snuggle up in your comfort zone, insisting that you’d way rather keep working your boring job rather than to embrace change. 

I know better. And you can, too. Once you recognize the signs and acknowledge that fear is the main thing that’s holding you back, you can finally start to conquer your fears and take control of your life — no matter how uncertain the future may feel right now.

Here are a few telltale signs your fear of failure is currently holding you back – whether you’re ready to admit it to yourself or not.

1. You hesitate to try new things

When a friend of yours asks you to try a restaurant, get set on a blind date, try a new sport or something else you’ve never done before, your answer is usually a quick “Nah.” You prefer to stick to things you already know.

You choose your battles carefully, only agreeing to take on select challenges you’re really confident you’ll succeed in.  Choosing to avoid any possible chance of failure by turning down new experiences can cause you to avoid taking risks, developing new skills, and creating something exciting. All because you’re afraid of failure.

If this sounds like you, make it a goal to say “YES” the next time someone invites you to try something new. Embrace those scenarios as an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone.

2. You’re settling for less than you deserve

While being content with your current circumstances is a good quality, being complacent is not. The truth is, you have the power to improve your situation and embrace change in your life. But in order to do so, you’ll have to admit that you want (and deserve!) more. You’ll have to take a risk. Yes, you’ll have a higher chance of failure that way – but you’ll also have a much, MUCH higher chance of living the life of your dreams. 

If this sounds like you, set aside some time to take stock of your life. Consider your job, your relationships, and your current situation. What are you happy with? What do you wish was different? Then, start brainstorming a few changes you could make in order to make your life closer to how your vision. Focus on the good that could come from facing your fears, making a change, and taking a step toward progress.

3. You insist you’re not afraid of anything

Spiders? Yawn. Crippling loneliness? Bring it on. Failure? Whatever. I say that’s full-blown DENIAL. Sorry, but I’m calling your bluff. Everyone’s afraid of something — and entrepreneurs have plenty to be afraid of. Fear is a natural human emotion. 

If this sounds like you, it’s time to get really honest and vulnerable with yourself. Take some time to think about what you’re truly afraid of. Write down your fears and acknowledge what you are really afraid of. Then, you’ll be able to start addressing and overcoming your fears rather than living in a state of denial.

 I am deathly afraid of heights; I get vertigo looking over a 2^nd  story balcony!  But, when a household task needs to be done that includes a ladder, I go right up.  The job has to be done, and Kim isn’t going up because she has the same fear of heights.  But I face the fear, I embrace the fear and just go up the ladder.  I just refuse to let fear win! 

4. You tend to fall apart when things start going south

Does this sound familiar? If you fail, even in a small way, you feel like you’re a failure. You thrive when things are going great, but you tend to view any challenges up ahead as disasters, not opportunities.

If this sounds like you, change your mindset. Work on embracing failure as an opportunity to grow. Remember, Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times before finally getting the light bulb right.  If you fail, learn from it, and apply what you learned to your next attempt.  Surround yourself with positive-minded people and keep your thoughts positive, no matter your circumstances.

5. You tend to judge other people based on their success or failure

When you see someone who’s uber-successful, you assume it’s because they’re a really incredible person. When you see someone who’s failed, you think they’re just not cut out for this sort of thing. When this failure for them is just a small bump in a long successful road.

If this sounds like you, stay positive in the face of failure.  Small failures are just that, small.  We experienced failure when we were building our Biz Wizards website.  We wanted to have the Subscribe pop-up widget (that every other site had).  Simple, right?  It took me installing and uninstalling 4 pop-up plug-ins and countless failures before getting it right.  With each failure, I learned a little more, and I became more determined to succeed.  Failure happens, it’s how you respond to it that determines your outcome in life.  

6. You make excuses

There are so many reasons why you can’t, or shouldn’t, or won’t become an entrepreneur. You don’t have enough money, you’re super busy, there’s a pandemic going on, you’ve got too much on your plate, it’s too hot outside, you’re tired, your psychic told you now’s not the time, you’re pretty sure your awesome idea actually sucks.

If this sounds like you, address your excuses head-on and change your mindset away from the employee mindset. For example, if you think you can’t become an entrepreneur because you don’t have any money – could you find a way to get started without cash?  If you’re too busy — could you eliminate something from your schedule to free up some time?

Final Thoughts

Once you acknowledge what you’re really afraid of, you can start making real progress toward your goals — without the fear of failure standing between you and your dreams.  Don’t be afraid of change, embrace change and welcome it into your life.

If you’re really serious about starting something new, change your mindset.  Embrace change and face your fears.  Start by writing down your fears.  Then talk through them with yourself, your spouse, your parents your best friend…anyone.  Once you talk through your fears you will see that most of them are unfounded or are very easy to overcome.  They aren’t the big scary monsters you had made them out to be.

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