Fear of Failure
& the steps you can take to overcome it
Published 20th February 2024
By Tash Maffioletti
What is that thing that makes you feel like the idea you have isn’t worth implementing, and prevents you from sitting down and getting it started? There’s always a reason, and you might find yourself saying things like; ‘the timing’s not right’, ‘I still need to know more’, ‘it’s too risky’. And although all of these thoughts can be true contextually, the feeling of the unknown and all the ‘what ifs’ can be the thing that is discouraging you from making a leap of faith into something that could transform, not only how you live, but how you feel about your capabilities to embark on something new.
None of this is unusual, and many people meander around this feeling all throughout their lives. Often, the fear of failure is hiding amongst all of the rational thoughts and practical obstacles that do exist, but don’t necessarily need to stay in your way as easily as you’ll have yourself believe. The feeling of trying and failing, as you move through life, can become increasingly impactful, but so can the feeling of trying and learning, trying and developing, trying and succeeding - and instead feeling disheartened, you feel accomplished, proud, motivated and determined. When harnessing the understanding that your fear of failing is perhaps underpinning your resistance to move forwards with your ideas, you can leave space to believe that the alternative is achievable.
So, what can we do to take those steps towards overcoming that sensation of potential failure? There are many things to consider, and it’s always important to find what works for you. However, there are some little tips and ideas that can set you on your way to carve your own route through the murkiness of the fear of failure, and how debilitating that can be.
Break down larger tasks into smaller bite size tasks…
The distance between you and the end goal can sometimes feel massive and overwhelming. When broken down into smaller chunks, big end goals can seem more achievable and less daunting. You can start with short tasks like reading articles and move towards larger tasks like setting up a website (and even that you can do a paragraph at a time!) Before you know it, you could be in the habit of working on these smaller tasks, that you haven’t realised how close you are to the goal you had initially set.
Communicate with your support network…
Whether you prefer to talk things through with people who have an objective opinion, or peers from the same background as you, or a bit of both depending on how you’re feeling. Talking about worries, triumphs, things you’re feeling stuck on, or confident with, is always a useful tool to help keep you focused and to share in ideas and plans to continue along your journey.
Knowing your limits…
Knowing when something you’re facing is not correct for you and recommending another practitioner instead, is a good way to ground yourself with where you’re at now and to lean into noticing how far you have developed already, as well as allowing you to identify where your current expertise sits. Often, knowing when to refer onwards can be conflated with failure, but understanding what you’re confident at, and not stretching yourself to reach for something you’re not quite ready for, is a great way to establish that sense of accomplishment. Jumping ahead to the next step before you’re ready can impact your confidence and can undo that good work and sense of accomplishment you have already established. – When this happens, and you think you’d like to be able to take those developed tasks on, then this is another great time to goal set and work towards this next step in smaller chunks and to continue with using your support network to talk things through!
Setting boundaries…
Sometimes the trickiest one to do – to carve out times and availability for yourself to be engaging in learning, working, being with friends and family etc. But is super important so that you can create balance and have the energy to work in a focused way on things that propel you towards achieving your endeavours.
Keep learning…
The world is always developing, education is always moving forwards, and this is exciting to follow and develop alongside. Staying up to date with educational resources can help keep you engaged and focused on your journey. Fear of failure isn’t necessarily a bad thing in itself; it can keep you on track to do things the right way and at your own pace. However, identifying its presence when you’re feeling unable to move ahead with ideas is important, especially in enabling you to find what works for you to work through that feeling that’s holding you back!