Top 4 Ways to Combat the Fear of Failure

Have you ever been excited about something you worked hard on? Be it something small or something big! You put hours of work into this one project and have given nothing but your best. And just when you’re ready to take action and show this project to the world, something creeps in.

An uneasy feeling. A lingering anxiety. The fear of failure. 

Michelle Obama once said

“failure is a feeling long before it becomes an actual result. It’s vulnerability that breeds with self-doubt and then is escalated, often deliberately, by fear”.

In today’s world, almost every human being has felt this fear at least once in their life. That time when you had to give your pitch or even when you launched a new product, your anxiety would have been at its peak. Even when you are thoroughly confident with yourself and the work you do, somehow, you cannot seem to shake off this feeling.

Eventually, at some point, this fear makes you halt. It makes you want to stop from even trying something just because you don’t want to fail. This is when the issue grows.

So, the question here is what exactly causes this fear? Is it criticism from others? Is it rejection? Is it self-doubt?

Well, it’s not exactly just one reason it is? There are so many things that could trigger one’s fear of failure. So, we, femmebought, are here to give our dear women entrepreneurs ways to combat the fear of failure.

Addressing your fear

Raise your hand if you’re the kind of person to delay working on a project just because. Raise your hand if you put off working on a task due to its slightly complex nature. Raise your hand if you are unknowingly stopping yourself from doing things just because they scare you. 

Marie Curie once said ‘Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.’ 

Before asking yourself ‘how to overcome the fear of failure?’, the very first step would be to address your fear and know the root cause. As we all know, the only way to take action regarding something would be to address the situation first. The same goes for your fears. Addressing your fears means now you can look for solutions accordingly. One great method to initiate this would be to start a journal. 

Finding a safe space

When your fear of failure comes from the lack of confidence you have, one of the best methods to conquer this fear is by finding a safe space to practice in. Ashley Bryan says, “having a safe space to imagine and dream and reinvent yourself is the first step to being happy and successful, whatever road you choose to pursue”. 

Everybody has a different idea of a safe space. For some, it may be their closest family and friends, while for others it may be just a room with no one but their pet. The goal here is to first find a space that works for you. A place that makes you feel comfortable and allows you to be yourself and has room for the mistakes you might make.

Practicing whatever you might not be confident in, in this space of yours, is what’s going to help decrease this fear. Rehearse that sales pitch of yours that you’ve been putting off. Practice it, however many times it takes! The more you practice, the better you’re going to become at it.

Creating small successes 

Have you ever found yourself just laying around, ignoring that big pile of work that’s growing behind you? Doing almost anything but getting work done? You’re fully aware that you’ll have to complete that sooner or later, but just cannot help putting it off? Welcome to procrastination! 

Procrastination is one of the common factors found when someone has the fear of failure. Sometimes, we procrastinate just because we purely don’t feel like working at that time (which is completely fine. We all deserve good breaks from time to time). But most of the time this only happens when facing projects or tasks of higher complexity. One great way to tackle this would be by using the minimum baseline approach. 

The idea of this approach is simple. Get rid of the idea of having to finish everything in one stretch. Break down whatever task or project you have into smaller chunks. Each of these chunks now have their own timeline and success points, which is your minimum baseline to achieve. Target finishing one of these at a time. This way, projects and tasks become less daunting to tackle and it gets much easier to get yourself motivated.

Making tasks fun 

Imagine this. You’re all dressed up, excited and ready to take on the day. You begin your regular commute to your nine to five. During the commute, you start to ponder about all the tasks and projects that are awaiting you in the office. Suddenly, you’re enveloped in a feeling of overwhelm, and the reality of being stuck in a mundane routine hits you. 

Sounds a little too familiar? Have we all not felt this feeling at least once in our lives?

Jon Acuff, one of New York Times bestselling authors says “Have fun. That’s it. Two words, one clear direction. Make sure your goal is fun. Make sure you enjoy it”. Although Jon makes it seem a little easier than what it actually is, he’s got a solid point. Why don’t we approach tasks and goals with the same excitement we feel on a night out? Sometimes, we tend to unknowingly develop the stigma of ‘work equals boredom’. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Creating fun around the projects and tasks you do is a great way out of monotony. Everyone has a different definition of fun. Find a ‘fun’ that works for you! For some, tasks are much more enjoyable when done in a group. The occasional chitchat and just the group atmosphere make tasks hardly bothersome. For others, it's having a great playlist on repeat, playing in the background. Work for them is just more enjoyable when humming to their favourite songs. When you perfect the art of creating fun around your work, we assure you, every day feels different. Your days are now something you can look forward to. 

Remember, the fear of failure is something that cannot be avoided, but it definitely can be reduced and dealt with. Address your root cause and find a method that works for you. As they say, embrace your nerves and it shall aid in your drive to succeed!