Implement each step to conquer fear and get the results you desire.
Has the fear of failure kept you from pursuing your vision and achieving your goals? Has the fear of failure held you hostage from living your best life?
The fear of failure is a strong force that will handicap your potential. It will convince you to play it safe. It will tell you to stay where you are because if you try something different, you will fail. The fear of failure comes in different disguises and forms to hinder your success.
Everyone hates to fail, but for some people, failing presents such a significant psychological threat that they limit themselves and do not achieve a fraction of what they are capable of achieving because they fear failure. They become so motivated to avoid failure that it exceeds their effort to succeed.
Overcoming the fear of failure is not easy, but it can be done, especially when you are committed and consistent to succeed in what you envision for your life.
There is no magic pill. There is no special formula. You have to be willing to figure out, face and fight through your fear of failure.
After dealing with my own struggles with the fear of failure, I discovered six steps that continually help me face the fear of failure. It is not an exhaustive list, but if implemented these six steps can help you face the fear of failure and move forward to get the results you desire.
Six steps to help you face the fear of failure and win.
1. Identify past failures. Make a list of your past failures and what caused them. This is difficult, but it helps you confront your past failures in a real way. You cannot change what happened in the past, but you can learn and grow from it.
If you do not honestly identify your past failures and their causes the chances of moving forward will be difficult. You will stumble through life and fumble opportunities of success if you keep repeating the same mistakes that cause you to fail. When you take the time to seriously identify your failures and their causes, you position yourself for vision success.
2. Understand that failure happens. Michael Jordan the world greatest basketball player understood that failure happens. He said, “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Even the best leaders in the world have gone through times of failure. Failing is a part of life. When failure happens, deal with it and move on.
3. Learn from past failures. The best thing about a past failure is that it gives you an opportunity to learn and grow from your mistakes and prevent the same mistakes from happening again.
Ask yourself these questions. What did you learn from the experience that will help you in the future? How can you use the experience to improve yourself or your situation? Then use what you learned from the experience to do things differently so you get different results next time.
4. Count the Cost. What will you gain if you pursue your vision? What will you lose if you keep waiting? Who will be blessed if you proceed forward? Who will miss out if you continue procrastinating?
There is a cost for following and not following your vision. You don’t know what is possible until you move forward with your vision. You could miss leading a million dollar business, beginning a new loving relationship, a chance to live your dreams or an opportunity to live a victorious life. Are you willing pay the price?
5. Set a goal. A goal helps you define where you desire to go in life. Without a goal, you have no direction to your destination. Start by setting one to two goals. These goals should challenge you, but not overwhelm you that you give up.
Taking small steps to achieve one or two goals sets you up for ‘timely wins’ that will help boost your confidence. They will give you the motivation to keep moving forward and prevent you from over extending yourself by focusing on too many goals.
6. Do it afraid. The fear of failure immobilizes you. To overcome this fear, you must act. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. Don’t keep waiting to do it tomorrow. Don’t wait for the fear to totally go away.
You must act now because if you do not, you allow fear to win. I know it is scary, but do it anyway. I know there is the possibility of failure, but walk by faith in spite of the doubts. It is time to be courageous and just do it. If it doesn’t work out the way you anticipated then do something different. But, the key is to do something now.
Although, we all encounter failures in life, you don’t have to let the fear of failure hold you hostage from living your vision. Implementing these six steps can help position you for vision success. As comedian Bill Cosby says, ‘decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it.’
“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” Abraham Lincoln
Question: What past failure has kept you stuck from moving forward with living your vision? Leave a comment below.
Aiyannas fun world says
When you overcome fear once and “do it afraid” you can do the same thing again and again. You become empowered to achieve.
Bernard Haynes says
Thanks
TCAvey says
LOVE this post!
Great quotes and those stats of Michael Jordan’s are inspiring! No one is perfect. We all fail. But what we do with that failure is what matters.
I am currently stepping out in faith, trusting God that He has a plan and purpose and will bless our obedience to foster kids. There is so much fear in this. Satan is using fear but we recognize it is Satan and we take it to Christ. Trusting God more than our fear. Knowing God is with us. Knowing God is greater than all our fears. Knowing we can’t be content to NOT obey God.
Thank you for this post, it’s inspired me. God bless you and your family.
Sorry I don’t blog very often any more. Busy season of life 🙂
Bernard Haynes says
TC,
It is great hearing from you. I understand about not being able to post as much. I cut back for awhile several months ago. Life happens. I am making a big push with my website and books.
I pray that everything will go well with fostering children. I have a friend at church who fosters children. He has several and he has adopted several. He says it has been a blessing. Difficult at times but a blessing. My wife’s aunt foster children until she was about 86. She was a blessing to hundreds of young people. I know that you and your husband will be excellent foster parents and God will use you to pour into children lives. You all will plant positive seeds that will last a lifetime.
Thank you for your posts and support throughout my time of blogging. Be blessed.