How to overcome the fear of failure: 7 practical tips

Several recommendations so that the fear of failure dissipates and does not represent an extra obstacle.

It is natural to experience fear in certain situations; contrary to what many people believe, fear does not represent weakness. Instead, fear functions as a way of preserving our species, ensuring that we avoid exposing ourselves to dangerous situations.

But paradoxically, fear can be turned against us. When our fears are irrational, that is, when they do not respond to situations that are truly dangerous to us, they become limiting fears. In this article we are going to see how to overcome the fear of failureby means of several advices.

Why are we afraid of failure?

The fear to fail can respond to multiple circumstances. It is an irrational fear of multifactorial character. Among the most frequent circumstances we have low self-esteem, mismanagement of expectations, dependence on others to perform almost any activity, etc.

These kinds of behaviors and thoughts are mainly those that derive from unfounded fears.In order to know how to overcome the fear of failure, we must first be able to recognize in ourselves any of these cognitive distortions.

How to overcome the fear of failure?

In the following lines we will review some effective techniques, which can help greatly in overcoming the irrational fear of failure. let's see what they are.

1. Recognize your own emotions

The recognition of one's own emotions is essential to face the fear of failure. When we are able to recognize that we are feeling fear, we can deal with it in a much better way. we can face it in a much more effective way than when we refuse to accept it.

Thus, overcoming the fear of failure begins with being able to analyze the situation from which we start and explore those sources of fear, what makes a project make us fear or make us feel anguish.

2. Identifying the exact source of fear

Feeling that we are afraid of failure is something that is quite general, what we must do in these cases is to identify what exactly it is that motivates our fear, which exact part of the process is the one that generates anxiety and anguish..

Once you manage to pinpoint the real reason for your fears you will know what are the aspects to improve to overcome them. It is a matter of analyzing from the most general to the most specific to find our Achilles heel, the one who knows his fears becomes stronger.

Motivation techniques

Sometimes the fear of failure can be subject to a generalized lack of motivation. a generalized lack of motivation. In these scenarios what we must do is to strengthen our motivation and contribute to maintain it over time. There are several techniques of personal motivation that can provide you with the solution to your fears.

It is important to keep in mind that motivation can be internal or external; when it is internal it is because we enjoy the process of doing something we like, while when it is an external motivation what drives us to achieve our goals is the concrete and objective reward we will receive for it.

4. Transform your way of thinking

When we think that failure will chase us everywhere we goand that there is nothing we can Excel at, we must stop for a moment and take a hard look at our situation. Ask yourself: do these thoughts make sense, and what is really holding me back from success?

When you realize that the main obstacle between you and success is your own thoughts, you will be well on your way to overcoming the fear of being wrong. Success is relativeThink of it as an everyday thing. Every day you succeed at something. If you see failure as a learning opportunity for future success, you will take advantage of it.

5. Plan realistic goals

Realistic goals keep us away from the likelihood of resounding failure, as we plan our goals more assertively, we will begin to see our goals as more achievable. we will begin to see our success as more achievable and consequently we will dissipate the fear of failure.

We must make a habit of this so that little by little it becomes a habit, and we completely lose the irrational fear of failing in our aspirations. Evaluate the resources at your disposal and work according to them.

This is one of the simplest tips on how to overcome the fear of failure, since it is based on actions that are easy to determine, such as establishing a timetable, dividing general objectives into more specific ones, etc. If, on the other hand, we set unachievable goals, we will end up getting frustrated and assuming the idea that nothing goes well, which in the long run paralyzes and leads to passivity and defeatism. We must seek a balance between the present state and what can be achieved with the means available now.

6. Try to be the best version of yourself

This point refers to overcoming little by little what has been achieved. When we start an activity it is normal that we are not so good at the beginning, but eventually we will improve as time goes by and we are constant. So, take each advance as a personal triumph.

Always try to surpass yourself without becoming obsessed with it. Remember that all excesses are negative, and too much self-demanding could bring with it high levels of frustration which are counterproductive to our cause.

7. Do not run away from the possibility of failure.

As you begin to think of failure as a possibility, without necessarily being catastrophic, the fear of failure will begin to dissipate.

The less you strive to avoid failure and the more you focus on the process of doing what you set out to do and enjoying it, the better you will do in terms of your performance, and your fear will disappear, replaced by a more adaptive way of looking at failure.

Bibliographical references:

• Carleton, R.N. (2016). "Fear of the unknown: One fear to rule them all?". Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 41 (June2016): 5 - 21.
• Martin, Nick; Otowa, Takeshi; Lee, Minyoung; Hartman, Catharina; Oldehinkel, Albertine; Preisig, Martin; Jörgen Grabe, Hans; Middeldorp, Christel; Penninx, Brenda (2017). "Meta-Analysis of Genome-Wide Association Studies of Anxiety Disorders". European Neuropsychopharmacology. 27 (10): 1391 - 1399.
• Olsson, A.; Phelps, E.A. (2007). "Social learning of fear". Nature Neuroscience. 10 (9): 1095 - 102.