Building Self-esteem Series: The Fear of Failure
Hi there,
I hope you have enjoyed Hope’s Building Self-esteem Series as much as I have! Today, I wanted to open up a discussion about something we all face at some point in our lives: the fear of failure. It doesn’t matter who we are, what job we do, or how well we feel we have worked on our personal growth. It's a universal experience that can hold us back from reaching our full potential, both personally and professionally. However, I believe that by sharing our experiences and incorporating therapeutic techniques, we can overcome this fear and pave the way for personal growth.
Understanding the Fear of Failure
Firstly, let's acknowledge that the fear of failure is completely normal. It's a part of the human experience, and almost everyone has felt it at some point. Whether it's starting a new project, taking on a challenging task, or pursuing a dream, that little voice of doubt can creep in and make us question our abilities. We may even struggle with an internal critic that constantly holds us back with our negative internal dialogue and if you want some tips on how to quieten this voice please read here.
Developing a Growth Mindset:
One powerful therapeutic technique to combat the fear of failure is cultivating a growth mindset. The growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. Instead of seeing challenges as insurmountable obstacles, individuals with a growth mindset view them as opportunities to learn and grow. Instead of avoiding challenges or not attending to them all together, the growth mindset teaches you to work through those challenges, to go with the river, and to see what you can learn on your journey!
Practical Steps for Developing a Growth Mindset:
Embrace Challenges: Rather than avoiding difficult tasks, actively seek out challenges. This can help reframe your perspective and view challenges as stepping stones to improvement.
Learn from Criticism: Constructive criticism is a valuable tool for growth. Instead of taking it personally which can sometimes happen, use it as feedback for improvement. Remember, even the most successful people faced setbacks and criticism on their journey. You are not alone and gradually it gets easy when you are able to invite constructive criticism. It takes practice and self-compassion to be able to learn from constructive criticism.
Celebrate Effort, Not Just Success: Shift the focus from end results to the effort you put in. Acknowledge your hard work and dedication, regardless of the outcome. This helps build resilience and perseverance and is one of the key ways to overcome the fear of failure.
View Setbacks as Learning Opportunities: When things don't go as planned, ask yourself what you can learn from the experience. Failure is not the end but rather a chance to refine your approach and try again with newfound knowledge.
Sharing Your Experiences:
I'd love to hear from you all. Have you faced the fear of failure? How did you manage it, and did you try any therapeutic techniques like developing a growth mindset? Sharing our stories can be both cathartic and inspirational for others going through similar struggles.
Remember, we're all in this together, and every setback is a chance to grow stronger. Let's create a supportive space to discuss, learn, and conquer the fear of failure as a community!
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences that you feel comfortable sharing.
Photo by Sammie Chaffin on Unsplash
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS
I'd love to hear from you all. Have you faced the fear of failure? How did you manage it, and did you try any therapeutic techniques like developing a growth mindset? Sharing our stories can be both cathartic and inspirational for others going through similar struggles.
-I'm currently in the process of relieving myself from constant fear of failure. The way I'm beginning to do this is by increasing self-esteem first. I am in talk therapy, DBT and practice gratitude journaling daily. My hope is that once I feel a little more trusting of myself, I won't be so worried about failure, and I can bounce back from it quicker.
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS
Fear of failure was something I suffered for many years. I was so scared of low scores in my exams I wouldn't study till the very last minute. At first, I thought it was the energy boost, the anxiety filled motivation right before an exam but actually, no. It was the fact that i didn't try simply because i was scared of failing. The last-minute studying worked wonders till i had to face a national exam. I didn't have enough time to study because i was too busy being scared of the potential failure and did pretty bad in the exam. It wasn't terrible, passed all my subjects but the day i got results i realized how severely my fear affected me. I'm not stupid I'm a smart, capable person who can work hard, yet i was so terrified of failure to the point i didn't reach my potential. What hurt were my father's words, "You did your best, I'm proud of you," when in fact i hadn't even tried. This event really opened my eyes. That day i knew i had to get over this irrational fear of failure and prove to everyone including myself how truly capable i was. i told myself "i'd rather try and fail than not try at all. I'd rather fail a hundred times and succeed, than never fail to succeed," And worked my best for the international exam supposed to be attended a year after that, sure i got horrible marks at times in practice papers but for the final exam i did really well. Although i regretted that national exam for the longest time, it became my biggest strength, It became the reason i freed myself from a fear that was belittling my self-worth and potential. So, to everyone reading this, trying and failing and someday leading to success, is much better than not trying and failing.