The Fear Of Failure...

The Definition of Failure

• It's almost impossible to go through life without experiencing some kind of failure. People who do so probably live so cautiously that they go nowhere. Put simply, they're not really living at all.

• But, the wonderful thing about failure is that it's entirely up to us to decide how to look at it.

• Many of us have probably experienced this at one time or another. The fear of failing can be immobilizing – it can cause us to do nothing, and therefore resist moving forward. But when we allow fear to stop our forward progress in life, we're likely to miss some great opportunities along the way.

Causes of Fear of Failure

• To find the causes of fear of failure, we first need to understand what "failure" actually means.

• We all have different definitions of failure, simply because we all have different benchmarks, values, and belief systems. A failure to one person might simply be a great learning experience for someone else.

• Many of us are afraid of failing, at least some of the time. But fear of failure (also called "atychiphobia") is when we allow that fear to stop us doing the things that can move us forward to achieve our goals.

• Fear of failure can be linked to many causes. For instance, having critical or unsupportive parents is a cause for some people. Because they were routinely undermined or humiliated in childhood, they carry those negative feelings into adulthood.

How to overcome the fear of failure

• Address the problem.

• Learn from your mistakes.

• Don't bottle it up.

• Question your fears.

• Focus on what you can control.

• Embrace the Grey.