Fear of Success
We often hear about the fear of failure. I’ve even spoken on the topic at several seminars and conferences. It’s what we tell ourselves is the reason that we don’t step out on faith, trust ourselves, and leap into the unknown. We try to describe it, often saying it's the nervous feeling in the pit of our gut or the little voice on the inside saying “You can’t do it” or “ You’re not good enough.” We even name it fear and attach it to failure.
Recently, while attending a masterclass webinar hosted by a fellow coach, the participates, myself included, were given the assignment to take a piece of paper, draw a line down the middle, splitting the page in half. On the left side, we wrote the title, “My mind says” and on the right side the title “But I say.” The goal, uncover what was holding us back from reaching that one goal that we’ve been holding out on for so long while changing the narrative to achieve it. It was easy to fill in the left side with all the things that I told myself about why I hadn’t reached my goal of writing my first book. But what I discovered when writing my thoughts on the right side of paper changed my outlook of what was holding me back from reaching my goal.
The Revelation
it wasn’t my fear of failure keeping me from that big goal of being an author. It was about the fear of success and how that would impact my business, my career, and my future. What I learned is that I’m not alone in feeling this way. The reason we often don’t take the first step into the unknown isn’t that it’s scary and challenging but sometimes it’s more about what we’ll do if we succeed. And then we start asking ourselves the biggest questions.
What if I can’t create this level of success again?
What do you do now that I’ve met this goal?
How will this change the comfort zone that I know how to navigate?
What are expectations will people place on me now?
How will it be received by others?
Can I succeed at this level again?
All these questions run through our minds when we’re on the verge of succeeding in ways that are new, exciting, overwhelming, and sometimes life-changing. So, instead of being fearful of the succeeding, let’s become fearless in our desire to reach the level of success we worked so hard to achieve. Instead, let’s create a plan to embrace that success with open arms and an open heart. Sounds simple, right. Well with a plan in place, it can be. Let’s dig into a few approaches you can take to help you push through.
Face your fear head-on
Explore all the negative thoughts and feelings that have crept into your mind. Write them down and truly evaluate what has lead to those beliefs. Face each fear head-on and create a plan to address each one of them. When you name your fears and call them out for what impact they’re having on your life, you remove the power they hold on you and the future.
Change your narrative
One of the big breakthroughs for me was when I changed the narrative. My conversation and thinking moved from the concern and worry to confidence and excitement. When I changed my thinking about my goal and looked at it as a step towards achieving not only a goal but the life and career I desired, my drive to complete the goal was intensified and my outlook changes to the opportunities it could bring, people it would help and the positive impact it would bring.
Prepare for what comes next
One of the best ways to combat challenges and roadblocks is to prepare for them. Having a plan in place gives you a foundation to work from and guardrails to keep you aligned with your purpose. This is not different. Similar to the way you wrote down your fears and faced them head-on, what down your Success Plan. What will you do after you achieve your goal and how will you remain grounded in your purpose. Knowing your next steps sets you up for not only success but with a plan to manage that success today and every day moving forward.
Fear can be a powerful motivator but it can also feed self-dought and keep you from taking the leap into what you were truly met to do. Don’t be afraid to call it out, challenge the narrative it feeds you and see the success as winning. When you change your thinking on what success means for your life and career, you open the door to more opportunities, experiences, and a life that brings you joy.
Ready to get unstuck, achieve your goals — and create the life and career you desire? Schedule a complimentary discovery session today.