Confronting The Fear Of Failure
If there is one thing we all have in common at some point in our lives, it’s the fear of failure. Whether you’re a daredevil who jumps out of planes or you’re totally not a daredevil and could never bring yourself to jump out of that plane, you know what it feels like to be scared. Being a small business owner can be scary, too! You have a lot riding on your success; you’ve committed yourself financially and personally, and failure could be painful. Being afraid of failure is debilitating, though, and can actually affect your decision-making abilities; this may very well bring about the situation you were worried about in the first place.
So, let’s talk about those two people I just mentioned – the one who jumps out of the plane and the one who doesn’t. Even though both of them experience feelings of fear, the person who takes the plunge overcomes those emotions in order to do something amazing. He or she will see things that the person who stayed on the ground never, ever will. In the business world, being courageous in the face of scary situations can end up bringing us to a higher level than we ever dreamed possible.
Here are some thoughts about confronting the fear of failure:
The fear of failure will insist that you play it safe, and in the business world, you really have to take risks to achieve your goals. Failure hurts, it’s true. But did you know that the most famous and successful people in the world failed many, many times before they achieved success? There really is no such thing as an “overnight sensation.” Accepting failure as a natural part of the growth process is one positive step you can take towards confronting your fears.
Even when things are going great, a fear of failure may very well stop you from scaling out. You may decide to play it safe, to stay in the same old market, or to decide against hiring new talent. I mean, if everything is going well, there’s no need to change anything, right? Well, actually, you are meant to thrive, not just survive. To make that true scale happen, you need to step out beyond any fear with confidence and boldness to make those expansive decisions. Don’t settle for anything less than your highest potential.
The fear of failure is a force that keeps you from taking chances, and that will directly affect your earning power. Keep in mind that everything you are doing right now started out as just a concept in your mind. Eventually, as you stepped out on those concepts, they became a reality. If you are serious about growing your business and achieving better results (which includes raising your earnings), you have to be in control of your thought life and overcome those fearful concepts.
Even the most experienced skydiver had a first time. They managed their mind, overcame their fears, and gained a 40,000-foot view of the world. And so can you!
I’m Anna-Vija McClain. It is my absolute pleasure to work with you as a small business owner to help you achieve your goals and dreams, and with that in mind I offer mentoring, webinars, resources, and more. Let’s sit down and talk about ways that I can support you on your business journey!