🧭 6 Steps to Overcome Your Fear of Failure

Good Day, and welcome to The Growth Compass. We are that anchor for a ship in turbulent waters, providing stability and assurance, helping you remain steady amidst life's tumultuous waves with resilience and strength

Here’s Where We Are Headed Today:

• Paulo Coelho on Fear of Failure

• Why It’s Fear of Failure That’s Stopping You

• 6 Steps to Overcome Fear of Failure

• Ed Mylett and Others on Fear

• Free Mental Fitness Links 👇

• Quick Takeaways from Today’s Newsletter (TLDR) 👇

Why It’s Fear of Failure That’s Stopping You

What it is: Fear of failure is an overwhelming concern about the possibility of failing to achieve your goals or meet society’s standards. You see it in people when they avoid challenges or trying new things because of the anxiety of “failing” or not succeeding.

The fear of failure often isn't truly about failing itself, but rather the fear of the emotions that you will feel if “fail”:

• The sting of rejection

• The shame of embarrassment

• The weight of other people’s opinions,

It's less about the fall and more about the daunting shadows cast by your own insecurities and the perceived reactions of those around you.

Why it matters: It matters because it influences behavior and decision-making in various aspects of life, including education, career, and personal development. It can lead to a range of negative outcomes such as reduced motivation, avoidance of risk-taking, lower self-esteem, and can hinder personal growth and success. Understanding and addressing this fear is essential for fostering resilience, encouraging learning from mistakes, and promoting a healthier approach to challenges and setbacks.

What the Science Says:

1. Academic Performance and Avoidance Behaviors: A study published in the "Journal of Educational Psychology" highlighted the impact of fear of failure on students. The research found that students with high levels of fear of failure tended to avoid challenging tasks and exhibited lower overall academic performance. This avoidance behavior stems from the desire to not appear incompetent, ultimately hindering learning and growth.

2. Impact on Mental Health: Research in the field of psychology, particularly a study featured in "Psychology Today," revealed that fear of failure is closely linked to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Individuals who are excessively afraid of failing often experience heightened stress levels, which can exacerbate or contribute to mental health problems, affecting overall well-being.

6 Steps to Overcome Fear of Failure

In today's fast-paced and high-expectation society, the fear of failure, deeply rooted in doubts about self-worth, has become more prevalent than ever. This fear can be so strong that it prevents you from trying at all, leading to the actual failure that you feared.

First, before trying anything new, we want you to coat yourself with some CPF (not SPF). This will help build your confidence and help your logical brain start to see fear for what it is, an environmental response that is trying to help you.

1. Change - Change Your Language and Mindset on Fear of Failure - Failure is a part of the journey to success. Each failure is not an endpoint, but a learning experience that provides valuable lessons and insights. Accept that you don’t fear failure, but the feelings associated with it such as embarrassment and rejection. People who view failure as a learning opportunity tend to be more resilient and successful in the long run.

2. Proof - Give Yourself Proof When You Have Done Something to Overcome Fear - Reflect on a past success, like your first successful project at work or the first time you mustered the courage for your first kiss. Recall the fear you felt and how overcoming it led to a positive outcome.

3. Fear-Setting - Write down your fear and go through worst case scenarios - Tim Ferriss' Fear-Setting exercise is a powerful tool. Suppose you're hesitant about going to a new school. List down the worst-case scenarios, like not making friends immediately. Then, detail steps to prevent these (joining clubs, initiating conversations) and ways to repair the situation if it happens (seeking help from a counselor).

Once you have put on your CPF, you need to take action and push through the fear. This is where we can help you with some PEDs (Performance Enhancing Decisions).

4. Push - Push Yourself - The solution to overcoming this fear is to push through it. Avoiding challenges due to fear only reinforces the fear itself. Stepping outside one's comfort zone is essential for growth and success. The quickest way to deal with fear is to confront it and do what you're afraid of anyway. You don't need to feel confident or comfortable to take action. This approach is about pushing through discomfort and fear.

5. Emphasize - Emphasize Doing and your Focus Rather than Thinking The key message is to emphasize trying rather than focusing solely on thinking. Practice mindfulness to acknowledge your feelings without being controlled by them. Create action-oriented goals for each day, however small, to build momentum and shift focus from feelings to achievements. Focus on the process rather than the outcome when you are trying.

6. Habit - Develop the Habit of Taking Risks - Make risk-taking a regular practice. Develop a growth-mindset with everything you do. Start with small risks, like trying a new food or proposing an unconventional idea at work. Like any habit or exercise, your strength will start to grow over time. Gradually increase the stakes as you become more comfortable with uncertainty.

Ed Mylett and Others on Fear

That's a wrap for today. If you want to spread the joy, make sure to refer the newsletter to someone you think would benefit!