I’ve been dragging my feet lately about some things I need to do for my business. Ways I need to put myself out there, risks I need to take to bring my business to the next level. I could tell you it’s because I’m really busy or because Mercury was in Retrograde and both those things are true.

But I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was also afraid of failure.

Does this ever happen to you? You have a great idea — something new to offer in your business, or maybe you want to try a new hobby, or go for a new job — and you think about it all the time, but you don’t do anything about it.

You’re paralyzed by the thought of failing, looking foolish, feeling embarrassed, or being rejected.

You don’t even want to let yourself think about what you know you need to do. It just stays all murky, hanging over you like a cloud. Thinking it through, planning it out, would just mean you have to do it and that’s just plain s-c-a-r-y.

Welcome to the club — the Humans Club. I’m a card carrying member myself!

We humans want to be safe, that’s how we’re hard wired. And anything new is scary — we’re wired that way, too.

I’ve seen this in myself, my clients, and in the students I’ve taught over the years. I’m just finishing up another round of Grow Your Business ~ Share Your Calling and the Holistic Life Coaching Certification (both now available on demand) and the students are talking about it, too.

We all ask questions like:

Am I good enough?

What if I make a mistake and look stupid?

What if no one wants what I have to offer?

The other side of all this is that, if we don’t go after our dreams, we’re going to end up depressed, bored, regretful, and maybe even sick over it. Because while you’re mind may be playing it safe, your soul passionately wants to stretch in a hundred different ways.

To give your gifts in the world

To be your authentic self

To live fully with no regrets

Overcoming your fears takes some inner work. It takes time. And maybe getting some help. 

There are 7 strategies that keep me being stopped by the fear of failure. They’ve helped me start a massage practice in New York City, open a school in Central PA, and walk into a ballroom in a fancy gown and waltz the night away (just 2 weeks ago!) when I haven’t been Viennese waltzing in a very long time.

And they’re strategies I’m using now to move my business forward.

I was scared before I did all those things. I had every fear and all the excuses to go with them, as I’m sure I will again. But I’ve also got some go-to strategies that keep me going for my dreams. Many times I do fail, but I use these strategies to keep me moving forward, to help me learn, and to keep life interesting and fresh!

 

7 Strategies To Move Forward Past Your Fear Of Failure

1. Accept yourself as a human who is afraid of rejection and failure, just like everyone else
2. Learn from your fears, seek out their root cause, their wisdom, and how they’re trying to protect you
3. Accept that failure will happen and strive to learn positive lessons from it
4. Get support from mentors, friends, and peers who understand and can guide and champion you
5. Be accountable to someone, such as a coach, or peer, to take the next step, so you know you’ll do it
6. Chunk down the steps and start small, to build your confidence
7. Stay close to your passion, keeping in touch with your deepest reasons why you’re moving forward

Everyone feels afraid sometimes. It’s possible to feel that and go ahead anyway. And it’s completely guaranteed that not trying means you automatically fail, which is what you’re trying to avoid in the first place.

Why not go for your dream? Why not try the 7 strategies and see what happens?

I can work with you on any one (or all) of these strategies to stop fear from stopping you. And I’d be honored to walk with you on the path out of fear and into the future.

If you don’t go after your dreams, no one else will. 

And I’m here to help — in 3 ways:

1. Sign up for a Free 30 Minute Discovery Session HERE.

2. Learn more about the Grow Your Business program, HERE.

3. Thinking about training in Life Coaching? Find out more, HERE.

All My Best,

 

 

 

P.S. I’m so glad I went to this annual waltz ball. Dancing makes my soul soar, and flying around the ballroom was a dream come true — all possible because I stepped out of my comfort zone.

 

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