Moving Forward
When we give ourselves permission to fail, we, at the same time, give ourselves permission to excel. – Eloise Ristad
When we tell ourselves that failure is nothing to be afraid of, we open up a pandora’s box of possibilities. Imagine a runner running in a hurdle race. If he gave up after falling off the first hurdle, will he ever become a great athlete?
Facing Your Fear of Moving Forward:
Have you ever been so afraid of failing at something that you decided not to try it at all? Or has a fear of failure meant that, subconsciously, you undermined your own efforts to avoid the possibility of a larger failure?
Many of us have probably experienced this at one time or another. The fear of failing can be immobilizing – it can cause us to do nothing, and therefore resist moving forward. But when we allow fear to stop our forward progress in life, we’re likely to miss some great opportunities along the way.
We’ll examine fear of failure: what it means, what causes it, and how to overcome it to enjoy true success in work, and in life.
Causes of Fear of Failure
To find the causes of fear of failure, we first need to understand what “failure” actually means.
We all have different definitions of failure, simply because we all have different benchmarks, values, and belief systems. A failure to one person might simply be a great learning experience for someone else.
Fear of failure can be linked to many causes. For instance, having critical or unsupportive parents is a cause for some people. Because they were routinely undermined or humiliated in childhood, they carry those negative feelings into adulthood.
How You Experience Fear of Failure
You might experience some or all of these symptoms if you have a fear of failure:
A reluctance to try new things or get involved in challenging projects.
Self-sabotage
– for example, procrastination, excessive anxiety, or a failure to follow through with goals.
Low self-esteem or self-confidence
– commonly using negative statements such as “I’ll never be good enough to get that promotion,” or “I’m not smart enough to get on that team.” Perfectionism
– A willingness to try only those things that you know you’ll finish perfectly and successfully.
The Definition of Failure
It’s almost impossible to go through life without experiencing some kind of failure. People who do so probably live so cautiously that they go nowhere. Put simply, they’re not really living at all.
Tags: Courage To Continue Effort Never Dies Fear Of Failure Greater Benefit Life Of Success Moving Forward
