Facing down failure can be downright daunting for some. But each time failure is experienced, the stronger the individual becomes. Also, by facing challenges the fear of failure diminishes.
Learning how to get back up and learning how to be better and learn from your failures. It’s the only way to have that mentality to be better next time. Sometimes life doesn’t go the way you want it but it doesn’t mean you need to give up and not try again.
It’s time to get down to the raw, honest, and real-deal nitty-gritty on this topic. I got with quite a few passionate people interested in sharing their ideas with you and this article is an interview-style approach to helping you regain control of your time.
Topic at Hand: Beating The Fear Of Failure
[This article is part of the research done for the book: “Push the Damn Button” a straight-forward guide to getting off your butt and getting goals done – click here to check it out.]
[‘R’ is me (Richard N. Stephenson) and ‘I’ in the interviewee]
R: Why would anyone really want to pay attention to this subject?
I: Fear can derail even the most confident person. Failure can really only be accomplished by actually trying something. If you’re afraid to fail you will always fail. Trying to accomplish something may bring about failure but then you can try again.
R: This is very interesting stuff here and I think it could help people. What do you feel is the most life-altering thing about the topic?
I: Overcoming the fear of failure will make you more likely to succeed. It is often the case that fearing failure is a self-fulfilling prophecy and to overcome the fear, is to overcome a large part of the possibility of actually failing. If you can overcome the fear of failing, you will be able to more clearly see how to obtain your goals and will be more likely to take steps to do so.
R: Share some of your inner feelings on just how useful this topic is for making people want to be better.
I: Fear of failure is a major deterrent for some people in taking on new challenges – for example, myself. For those people who can overcome said fear they would be better equipped to face both regular, daily problems as well as more specific events like seeking a raise or promotion, opening a business, etc.
Overcoming a fear of failing would absolutely make someone a “better person” simply by removing barriers to success or happiness though, in an extreme, it could lead one to be overly daring, speak their mind too freely, etc.
R: If you had to pick the “World’s Best” for this topic, who would it be?
I: People who have significant others have overcome they’re fear of failure. For example, it takes guts to ask a beautiful girl out or even propose. It also allows people to succeed in professional life because they are willing to take risks, no matter the failure.
R: If you had to pick who’s the worst at this subject, who would it be?
I: I think that everyone can understand this topic. Many people may not have addressed this issue in the way it is presented. Once the content is explained, most people will have a personal example to illustrate their personal struggle with being fearful of failure.
R: Describe the “perfect day” as far as making this subject a part of your life.
I: They need to think about what they have failed at. After they determined something to work on, they need to make a plan on how they are going to beat their fears. They should also seek support, since they will be very anxious and fearful while completing the task. This person or people will offer emotional support, and root the other person on.
R: When is a pretty good time to start paying more attention to this topic?
I: The best time to encourage someone to conquer their fear of failure could be after a failure of your own that they have witnessed. It would be a perfect example of failure can lead to success. If they see you rebound and grow from failure, they might be encouraged to respond in a similar way.
R: When is a time you feel this topic needs to be set aside or not even considered?
I: When a person is at their all-time low, this would be a bad time for them to try and beat the fear of failure. Someone who has low self-esteem has so many fears, and they need to prepare before they take on these fears. Once they are equipped mentally to take on their fears, they should do so with help.
R: Can you tell me where folks out there should plan to bring this idea into their lives?
I: An environment in which someone has failed before would be a good place for using this topic. The person would have a chance to do something they messed up before over again, and to beat their fear of failing at it again. Sometimes people have a hard time letting go of something in which they failed at, and this would give them the chance to overcome that anxiety.
R: Can you explain a place (or places) where you just wouldn’t even consider using this topic in your life?
I: The fear of failure isn’t necessarily always a negative thing. If someone sets an unrealistic goal, for example, to walk across Niagara Falls on a tight rope, it might be quite negative if they easily overcame the fear of failing. It might result in injury or death. Knowing when to overcome fear of failure and distinguishing it from when there should be a sense of fear is the narrow line between wisdom and stupidity.
R: Who’s someone that could gain quite a bit from looking further into this topic?
I: A person who could most benefit from beating the fear of failure is an anxious type of person. Anxiety and fear can be debilitating and paralyzing, especially to someone who is quite vulnerable to such stress.
An anxious person who can learn to overcome fear of failure will be able to manage his or her own goals in a more realistic manner and have a better chance of achieving their goals in the long term.
R: Can you give us any hints or tips for working this topic into our lives?
I: Everyone has a concern about failure, and probably more precisely many have a fear of failing. One key to overcoming it for the person to be analytical about precisely what they are afraid of. It isn’t fear of failure; it’s fear of something else. That something may be disapproval of peers, losing a job or position, or the like.
Once a person figures out what they are truly afraid of, they can decide whether their fear is rational, and what they can do to manage it. For example, if they are afraid that failing at a project will hurt their ability to promote, it’s best to discuss this fear with your manager up front, rather than assume the worst and take a wait-and-see attitude.
R: How would you describe the most dangerous thing about this subject?
I: People should avoid self-help books. Self help books are mostly written by charlatans and pseudo scientists. Most of these books merely teach people to be superstitious. [R: Remind me to point folks to the non-sucky self-help books out there!]
R: This topic is broad and the readers will need some focus. Can you help guide them along with an example of what to do next?
I: Try playing a new instrument, go out and meet new people. Accepting that failure is the process of getting to success. Everyday work a little bit towards your goal, every baby-step counts. Attempting something you didn’t think you could do before, like skydiving.
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Come on now! Aren’t you fired up and ready to get more done in life? There’s at least one golden pearl of wisdom (or is that nugget of pearl?) to take away. See how you can apply it to your life today and start getting more stuff done. There’s just ain’t enough time to dilly-dally, folks!
It’s time to get off that chair, get your butt pumped, and get more important stuff done in life! It’s time to Push The Damn Button already. Click here to regain control of the minutes floating away from your life.
Please feel free to share your thoughts, comments, or personal life-changing wisdom below.