How Fear Affects Your Success
I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t experienced fear. It’s an unpleasant emotion that can cripple our ability to chase professional and business goals. How we deal with it impacts our lives, so it’s best to learn how to cope with it.
After experiencing my fair share of anxiety, disappointment, and worry, I realized that our dreams should always be bigger than our fears. We shouldn’t be afraid to start a business, go back to school, or learn a new craft. After all, life’s too short for regrets.
Read on to learn more about these fears and how to overcome them to improve your life.
Fear of Success
When I talk about this fear type, people often ask: “How can anyone be afraid of succeeding?” But fearing success is real. It involves being frightened of achievement, sometimes even causing individuals to sabotage themselves.
Many of us view success as a desirable notion, but there are reasons why some of us don’t want to do too well. Here are some of them:
● Some of us feel that success will make us arrogant and turn us into different people.
● Being successful may mean unwelcome attention — both good and bad.
● Achieving our goals could also affect our relationships with our loved ones.
● Despite being qualified, some people fear not being good enough.
It’s crucial to understand that people often don’t fear success itself but the consequences that come with it. Success means changing the way we live, and that can be a scary thought.
Fear of Rejection
The fear of rejection is a feeling of unease people experience, convincing them that others won’t accept them because of their values, personality, or looks.
Some people get jitters just by thinking about situations that might lead to rejection, but it can turn into a crippling fear. If we let it take over, it can affect our actions, decisions, and choices.
For this reason, irrational fear of rejection can limit your business prospects and social interactions. Let’s delve deeper into how this fear hinders our success.
● The fear of rejection prevents us from sharing our opinions.
● It can turn us into notorious people pleasers.
● Our trepidation moves us to copy other people to hide our unique selves.
● We sometimes experience the fear of making offers because it could lead to potential clients saying no.
● Because of our fear of rejection, we become overly passive to avoid confrontations.
I’ve met people who don’t strive to reach new heights because they worry too much about business dealings, interviews, and meeting new people. It’s not an ideal way to live. To read more about how to overcome rejection you can read my blog How to Deal With Rejection in a Positive Way
https://www.roannarhodes.com/post/how-to-deal-with-rejection-in-a-postive-way
Fear of Failure
If people had the power to decide between instant success and failure, I’m sure most — if not all — would choose the former. From the moment we step into the world, our society teaches us to do everything in our power to succeed. No one wants to be called a loser.
Since we were little, we started associating failure with sadness, disappointment, and shame. Naturally, we dislike the thought of it.
However, some people develop an extreme fear of failure. Here are some signs of such a condition:
● These individuals turn down business or career advancement opportunities unless success is a sure outcome.
● People who fear failure are afraid to acquire new skills because they want to stick to their expertise.
● They become too preoccupied with other people’s opinions of them.
● In some cases, some people undermine their abilities to set a low bar for success.
● Procrastination has become a constant in their lives.
People who are too afraid to fail often stop trying altogether. They choose not to try to avoid experiencing pain.
Overcoming Our Fears with Faith
I know how challenging it is to overcome these fears, but we can’t let fear ruin our lives. Even the most successful people experience fear and failure. The difference is they know that their goals are more important than any of their negative thoughts and feelings.
When it comes to overcoming them, first, don’t think of failure as the opposite of success because it’s not. It’s the antithesis of trying.
Failing every now and again isn’t just normal for all of us; it’s human nature. It’s not an attack on you as a person or your character; it’s an inevitability. When we think of failure as being personal, it seems much scarier to us than it actually is.
In reality, you can ask anyone about a time when they failed, and they’re sure to have many stories to tell.
Faith also plays a role when it comes to fear. As Christians, we believe Romans 8:28 when it says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.”
If we trust that God is still in control, then we know that anything that comes against us is not strong enough to thwart His great plans for us.
Whether it’s rejection, success, or failure, God is still with us through these trials, and will not let us go.
While we may think during these times that He has abandoned us, we must always hold on to the truth: “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
And it is through remembering these truths that we start to overcome fear with faith.
Live Your Best Life Yet
Are you ready to overcome your fears and live your best life yet? I’d like to invite you to a free 20-minute call to discuss what’s stopping you from chasing after your dreams.
Whatever your fears are, I can help you turn your life around. Schedule your free session now to free yourself from your crippling fears.
See you soon,
Roanna