That limiting Inner voice...
You Know exactly what to do, but that fear of failure comes to bite you.
Then, the nerves kick in and you find yourself doing something else instead, and don’t even remember exactly how that happened.
Or you avoid ‘Those’ difficult conversations, or taking ‘That’ uncomfortable action because – what if it doesn’t work? What if I get rejected? What if I mess it up?
When people ask me, about which Fear is the most common, they might expect me to say; Spiders, Flying or Heights.
In fact it’s “Fear of Failure” which I see the most often in practice.
It’s also one of the most life limiting Fears.
You can live a reasonably effective life and avoid spiders, or flying. But failing to explore the possibilities presented to you in life, or not expressing your talents, leaves you short of your potential.
An unfulfilled life… full of Procrastination and excuses… a tendency towards perfectionism and paralysis by analysis.
And then Regret kicks in… A longing for the life you could have had, if only…
One way to get beyond this is to re-frame failure as feedback. And all feedback is a gift, a learning opportunity. A chance to grow and become a better version on yourself – and that’s a good thing right?
Another way is to develop a strong sense of self worth and confidence, and build from a solid foundation of self belief, so that set-backs cannot shake you, or divert you from your mission.
It’s also worth listening to those Doubts, to that critical inner voice and hear who’s voice it really is *… and if you should let that voice dictate your life?
Sometimes that Fear is useful too. It keeps us safe, it stops us making in-congruent life decisions. Sometimes it acts as a break, a way to check in with ourselves, and how aligned we are to our goals and values.
For some though, this safety mechanism becomes overprotective and stifles opportunity, impedes fun and limits freedom.
If it’s stopping you expressing yourself, or getting on that stage, or joining that group, or starting that business, or talking to that person, then Finding a healthier balance is important for living a fulfilled, happy life.
How does Fear of Failure show up in your world?
* If it’s your Parent’s voice – remember that you’re an adult now, and that society, technology, politics, economy has all changed exponentially since you were a child. Isn’t it time you changed too?
