Learn how to overcome your fear of failure so you can pursue (and reach) your biggest goals.
There’s no denying it: Small goals yield small results, while big goals yield big results.
Despite knowing that is true, many people are afraid to set lofty goals and go after what they really want because they’re worried about what might happen if they fail.
In this article, I’m going to present you with 4 questions to help you get to the root of your fear while showing you how you can put that fear aside, take action and achieve things you never imagined possible. It’s not easy to overcome your fear of failure (I'm still a work in progress), but you can move forward — let me show you how.
Are You Good at What You’re Doing?
If you feel unsure or insecure about what you’re doing, you’re probably going to play small because you lack confidence.
Think about when you learned to drive. You were probably stressed, nervous, possibly even scared, and your only goals were to keep the car on the road and arrive safely at your destination. Once you became more proficient, your goals likely changed — maybe you turned your focus to improving your driving skills, and before you knew it, you were easily driving long distances without a second thought. Why? Because as you practiced and leveled up, you also grew your confidence.
The same applies to your business. If you’ve recently launched a new project or pivoted your business, you may be setting your sights on low-hanging fruit because you’re still building your confidence and learning to trust yourself. Instead of focusing on what could happen if you succeed at achieving big goals, all you can think about is, “what happens if I fail?”.
However, it’s crucial to set lofty goals for your business because that will help you focus on what truly matters as you grow.
Even if you’re just starting out or are expanding your operation, don’t be afraid to aim high. As you get better and accumulate more wins, you’ll be that much closer to what you actually want, and you’ll be glad you didn’t waste your time playing small.
Do You Know What Your Target Is?
It’s nearly impossible to make your big dreams come true if you don’t even know what they are, so it’s imperative to identify the target you want to hit in your business.
This is your opportunity to forget your past and any mistakes you’ve made, ignore your fear, and imagine the best-case scenario, then summon the courage to do the work required to make your ideal scenario come to life.
A crucial element of determining your target and going after it is belief — believing in yourself, your abilities, your resilience and your power. I know this for a fact because, as a coach, I’ve seen that the clients who believe in themselves and what they have to offer are far more successful than their peers.
Once you set your target and begin working toward it, you’ll begin to accumulate wins, which will help you believe in yourself even more.
Remember: When it comes to setting goals, aiming high is always the best policy. Even if you don’t hit your target, you’ll get much closer to it than you ever could have if you set your sights on something smaller. You’ll work harder, you’ll be more focused and you’ll be significantly happier with your results.
Why Are You Afraid to Set High Goals?
Before you can overcome your fears and start going after your lofty goals, you have to figure out why you’re so scared to fail.
You may have a fear of failure because:
- You believe people only love you when you perform well, so if you fail, you become unlovable.
- You think success makes you a good person, and in turn, failure makes you a bad person.
- You tie your worth as a human to your achievements, so you believe any failures reduce your value.
I used to struggle with each of those things, but now, I understand the truth: Whether or not I achieve my business goals, I am lovable, worthy and valuable — period.
The same goes for you. Your successes and failures in business are simply metrics from which you can learn, and they have nothing to do with who you are.
The takeaway: Put your ego aside and understand that you are not your business. Once you can separate your personal worth from your entrepreneurial success, you can move forward without fear and make an incredible impact on the world.
Are You Truly Aiming High?
This question may feel confronting, but I’m not here to make you comfortable. I want you to be brutally honest with yourself: Are you actually aiming high, or are you still setting goals that feel safe and comfortable?
In short, your high goals need to terrify you. They need to feel nearly unachievable — because what you think is achievable isn't your true potential. You can do far more than you think you can, so it’s time to start dreaming bigger.
Think of it this way: If you have a launch and set out to only sign on 10 people, is that really going to feel like a win? Out of the millions of people you could help, are you genuinely satisfied with just 10? Or would you feel like you short-changed yourself — not to mention the people out there who need your services but never heard about them because you gave up before you even got started?
If you want to become the biggest, most independent version of yourself, you have to aim higher than you’ve ever aimed before. Only then will you know what you are truly capable of.
Playing small does you no favors, and it’s only keeping you from reaching your fullest potential. The same goes for your mindset — that’s why my team and I are hosting a FREE Business School this summer! For 1 month, my team and I are helping you turn your passion into a profitable business, so you can live the life you’ve always dreamed of. Follow the link fastforwardamy.com/bus to register!
RECAP
I’ve included a quick recap of all 4 questions so you can screenshot this article and take it with you as you focus on overcoming your fear of failure and hitting your biggest targets yet!
- Are You Good at What You’re Doing?
- Do You Know What Your Target Is?
- Why Are You Afraid to Set High Goals?
- Are You Truly Aiming High?
Watch this episode on YouTube or listen via iTunes, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, and search for episode 141 of The FastForwardAmy Show.
PS Do you also want to start aiming higher in terms of your work-life balance?
Follow my free Dutch training: “De 7 Geboden: Passievol Ondernemen Op Eigen Ritme” and find the rhythm that fits YOU.
PS: If you want to work with me but aren’t sure where to begin, head to fastforwardamy.com/findyourfit and answer the questions — we’ll point you in the right direction!
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