Fear of Failure Can Stunt Your Life

Deep in your heart do you have a burning desire to change your life? Many women in my coaching practice answer this question with a resounding yes. However, fear of failure holds them back. Does that sound like you?

You can choose to see failure as “the end of the world,” or you can re-frame your thinking and view “failure”  as an incredible learning experience.  These experiences are very important; they’re how we grow, and how we keep from making that same mistake again. Failures stop you only if you let them.

Successful People Who Didn’t Let Failure Define Their Lives  

There are many successful people who encountered failure but didn’t allow it to define their lives.

Michael Jordan is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. And yet, he was cut from his high school basketball team because his coach didn’t think he had enough skill.

Warren Buffet, one of the world’s richest and most successful businessmen, was rejected by Harvard University.

Richard Branson, owner of the Virgin Empire, is a high school dropout but one of the wealthiest men in the world.

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor for lack of ideas. Disney also went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland.

Albert Einstein did not speak until he was four years old and didn’t read until he was seven. His teacher described him as mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in his foolish dreams. Yet,  he became one of the world’s most renowned physicists.

ThinkingVisualize What Your Future Will Look Like

  • What does your life look like five years from now if you allow fear of failure to rule your life?
  • How do you feel about the life you are leading?
  • Do you think you will look back on your life and regret you didn’t chase your desire?

Imagine If You Couldn’t Fail

In his book, The Naked Leader, David Taylor makes a very simple and bold statement; “Imagine if you couldn’t fail. Who would you be? Where would you go? What would you do?”

Removing thoughts of failure can help you to define exactly what you want from life. Take some time to sit back and think about the bigger picture. What dream do you want to chase? If you couldn’t fail, what would you do?

Once you know the answers to these questions, break your dreams down into smaller, more achievable chunks and suddenly you’ll see there’s less to fear.

Only you have the power to change your life! Muster up the courage and face your fear.  Use this quote by Victor Hugo as your mantra.  “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it.”

If you need any additional support to deal with your fear of failure, don’t hesitate to contact me. Countless women in my practice have transformed their lives and  I’m confident that you too can be one of these women.  Click here to read their success stories.