What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?
In a previous post I said the two main reasons people struggle to make any lasting change, is because of overwhelm and inaction. One of the biggest causes of overwhelm that prevents people from enjoying the success, achievement and the life that they want is a nagging fear that we may fail.
Fear of failure is one of those evolutionary traits that is hard-wired into our brains to help preserve us from danger.
Maybe a caveman needed that trait. After all, if he failed in his hunt for a sabre-tooth tiger he wouldn't get a second chance. far better for him to take the easy, safer option and hunt for a rabbit.
But we are no longer cave dwellers and by and large, most of thethings we put off wouldn't result in us being torn limb from limb if we get them wrong.
Much of our procrastination is created from the self- delusional belief that we are bound to fail, so there is no point in starting anyway.
Fear – Forget Everything and Run
Oddly though, the very things that we think are beyond us are the things that we ultimately learn to excel at.
The act of pushing our own boundaries raises us to a new level – most often a level that we never believed possible!
There are only two kinds of failure that you need to fear:
- The failure that comes fromnot beginning. This failure is
absolute. Not starting something is a far greater failure than
starting and not succeeding. To fail to even start is to deny
your own potential. And the day you stop believing that you can
be better is the day your life stops progressing.
Henry Ford said
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way
you're right.”
Is it time to change the way you think?
- The failure that comes from giving up too soon. At least in
this case a beginning has been made. An acceptance that the world
can be better. But how sad to stop at the first hurdle. The lists
of multi- millionaires the world over is filled with people who
failed once, twice or a dozen times before finally succeeding.
Their dreams remained intact. Their aspirations never wavered.
They learned that failure was not to be feared, rather, it should
be embraced as a lesson learned.
Henry Ford said it really well when he said “Failure is simply an
opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
(thanks to Henry Ford for his wise words and inspiration today).
A fear of failure can come disguised in many different way's
including;
*Procrastination
*Perfectionism
*Lack of Clarity & Direction
*Overwhelm
*Lack of Action & Implementation
*Indesicive
*Lack of Self-Confidence
Working with clients and personally in my own life, I always find the best way to overcome the Fear is to develop one’s own self confidence and act with courage and confidence, and take steps towards whatever it is you want to achieve.
Take some time now to ask yourself;
“What goals would you be setting for yourself if you knew you could not fail?”
And Remember…
“Do not be held back by past failures. When the sun rises tomorrow, the light of the new day will illuminate an open door that beckons you to enter a new world called The Land of Beginning Again!”
Robert H. Schuller Author of “You Can Become the Person You Want To Be
Overcome the Fear – Face Everything And Rise, rise to the challenge and just do it!
All the best
Christian