10 Ways I Conquered Fear of Failure to Pursue My Dreams

“There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction.” — Oprah

Do you struggle with fear of failure holding you back in your life?

Fear is a potent emotion that will hijack your life and prevent you from finding happiness and fulfillment if you allow it. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Whether your dream is something as simple as going to the gym a few times a week, entering a new career path, or any big challenges that pop up, fear will always try to weasel its way into your success.

Fear can often drive you to listen to negative opinions and focus on what can go wrong instead of believing in your abilities as a whole complete and capable person.

What could go wrong?

Fear drove me to go with the “safe choice” of an office job. I chose to ignore my dreams of being an artist. Things seemed hopeless, and I lost control of my life. Years of depression followed. But don’t worry there is a happy ending coming I swear.

If life has taught me anything, it’s that there really is no such thing as a safe choice. We are better off listening to our intuition rather than being paralyzed by our fears.

Regret is far worse than failure.

If you have a passion or vision for your life, it is your responsibility, not just to yourself but to the world, to stop listening to fear and do something. Yes, even if it’s just one small thing! Do everything you can to grow into the person you wish you were.

Living your life in fear has devastating consequences; there are no safe choices in life.

I learned this lesson dramatically in 2007 when the great recession hit.

I had just racked up $60,000 dollars in debt and a shiny new degree in Environment Studies, AND I was entering one of the most competitive job markets in history!

Can’t see where this is going, can you?

When the bottom of the economy fell out, the first thing to go was environmental jobs.

I was left with a useless degree, zero job prospects, and huge debt. Hooray.

YAY! I’m an adult I have Debt!

As you might guess, I wasn’t just afraid — I was terrified! It was my worst nightmares come true!

How did I get to this place?

I can sum it up in one word: Fear!

When I was small, I loved to express my uncensored, raw creativity by writing beautiful compositions on the piano and telling stories through writing and film. I found joy in my art. It was fulfilling because I felt like I was serving others with my gifts.

As I got older, the doom and gloom of the world began to weigh me down. Fear of failure terrorized me and convinced me to aim lower. I believed my goals were not practical. I thought running after them would be a huge mistake, just chasing the childish dream of the life of an artist.

This fear led me to enroll in Environmental Studies, which seemed like a safe choice at the time.

There were lots of environment jobs back then! I figured I would graduate, get a cushy job with the government, and earn myself a relaxing life.

Then the biggest economic meltdown of a generation occurred and my life went into a huge tailspin. I took the first job I could find — in an office, completely unrelated to my skills or interests.

This harsh lesson taught me that there is no safe choice in life!

We often believe one choice is safer than another, but we really have no idea what the future will bring.

Even the “safe choice” can fail just as easily as the “risky” choice!

Which is exactly what happened to me!

I am grateful because I eventually did overcome the fear of failure to pursue my dreams of being a writer and coach.

Along the way I created this checklist which helps me to take action and achieve my goals even when it seems scary or impossible. Hopefully you find it just as useful.

Conquer Fear of Failure Checklist

1. Regret is worse than failure. What a shame it would be to look back 20 years from now and regret not making the most out of your short life. You only get one life, don’t waste it furthering someone else’s dream when you have your own.
2. There is always time for change. Even when it may seem hopeless. Always remember: feeling stuck is a feeling it is not a fact. You can find a way!
3. Change your view of failure. Every failure is a learning experience that takes you one step closer to your goals. You will fail. Get over it. We all fail. The key is fail forward. Learn, improve, and try again.
4. Attach your goals to a greater purpose than yourself. It’s not all about you. You are working for the greater good here. What a shame it would be for the world to miss out on all your potential!
5. Believe in yourself. No one is special. People are out there living their dreams right now — if they can do it, so can you!
6. Stop being “busy”. Being busy is not productive. Focus time and energy on tasks that move you closer to your goals only. It’s not about having time, it’s about making time.
7. Schedule time to work on your goals and commit. You must make time to work on your goals — with deadlines! — or you will avoid and procrastinate. Procrastination is a child of fear.
8. Listen to your gut. This is the voice that knows what you need to do. Listen to this voice. It will guide you on the right path.
9. You will not be an overnight success, accept this. Do not beat yourself up if you are not as far along as you planned. The best time to start was yesterday; the second best is now.
10. One step at a time. Avoid trying to do everything at once. The important thing is to consistently work toward your goals. You are both the boss and the employee. Treat yourself with kindness and encouragement.

How to conquer fear and get unstuck

Anything worthwhile does not come easily. Persistence, honest feedback, and gradual improvement are the keys! It is the small gradual steps that add up to create something extraordinary.

As a Chinese proverb says: It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop.

You don’t have to change your life overnight. I’ve found the key is to take steps every day that work toward getting yourself on the right path.

An imperfect plan that you stick to is better than a perfect plan that you don’t.

Finally, find a goal that is worth fighting for. You can endure any “how” so long as you have a good enough “why”!

For many years, I was afraid of chasing my dreams, but there is hope! I’m here and you’re reading this! I am now officially a published writer!

And I want you to be inspired to make a change, and take steps toward leading a fulfilled life!

BIO:
Timothy is a health coach and personal trainer. He’s created a free course to create your own self-care routine and get your mind and body in shape with simple strategies you can use today. Click here to get instant access and discover how to stop anxiety, kill stress, and eliminate exhaustion with your free self-care planner!