The fear of failure is something most people are aware of, but the fear of success is lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce
Many people refuse to start projects or tasks out of fear they won't complete them, or if they do their work won't be very good and they'll suffer the embarrassment of having to explain their mistake.
The fear of failure is fairly ubiquitous, and no matter how successful a person is it's almost a guarantee that they struggled with the fear of being a flop. However, in the pursuit of any goal we must persevere and move beyond our trepidation regarding the outcome.
I believe the fear of failure is also rooted in our need to have certainty and security, and stepping out on a limb with an artistic, creative, or entrepreneurial endeavor tends to go against certainty and security. Taking a chance on yourself also opens yourself up to vulnerabilities, many of which become too overwhelming for some individuals to deal with.
I'm sure you've heard the idea that the biggest failure is in never trying, so I won't bore you with that line of thinking, even if it is worth keeping in mind.
Once you overcome the fear of failure, the prospect of success can actually become intimidating
I've been working on a few projects over the past few months. One of them is to push harder to become a full-time freelance writer, the other is to host a music showcase in town as a way to curate and promote bands I feel strongly about.
Both of these goals are a bit ambitious, but still realistically attainable. I've hosted a comedy night in the past and have organized house shows at my home, which I have also hosted. I've also done reasonably well on Steemit, enough to make me believe it may one day become a consistent source of income.
Recently, I secured a music showcase at Syntax Physic Opera in Denver, a respected venue in town. I've also started to receive increased blog writing work, both with the company I've down work for as well as a new client which could eventually allow me to write full-time.
These developments are exciting and are evidence to me that I'm moving in the right direction and making progress within the avenues I'm am working within.
But admittedly, I'm also slightly terrified
To be honest, I've spent a large portion of my life as a procrastinator, someone with big ideas, grand ambitions, but little actionable plans or methods to make these dreams a reality. It's easy to sit back and daydream about what could be, but it's infinitely harder to actually put in the work.
And once you put in the work, you not only have to overcome your anxiety about failing, you have to embrace the newfound responsibility that accompanies success. Because you've taken control of your destiny, you have increased obligations to keep your life on course.
Many people dream of being their own boss and running their own company. It's a noble pursuit, but it's one that also comes with added stress and responsibility. Inevitably, you'll have to deal with an upset customer or client as well as have to manage disgruntled or irresponsible employees.
Success does not mean everything runs smoothly and perfectly. Usually, it requires serious legwork and continuous followup in many arenas in order to maintain your current level of success, let alone excelling past your current status.
In taking an honest look at myself, I've come to realize that a lot of my past hesitation was rooted in my fear of doing well
Being afraid of success is not just a product of the increased responsibilities that accompany it, often it can be rooted in deep seated beliefs we have about ourselves and what we are capable of. If you were raised to believe you weren't going to amount to much, chances are success is something that makes you feel uncomfortable.
If self-doubt and deprecation are your modus operandi, your unconscious is likely viewing success as undesirable. Increased pressure and demands come with increased success, and in the moment it seems easier to just fade into the background again.
But every time you push beyond this mindset, you realize that success is worth all of the increased responsibility. I cannot think of a single instance where I regretted pushing myself beyond what I thought I was capable of, can you?
I wrote a piece about how if we aren't growing in our lives, we're slowly dying. It's very hard to remain in a static state, whether it's with your health, career, or relationships. If we aren't making progress, we are almost certainly regressing. As a result, we are required to continuously put ourselves into uncharted territory if we want our lives to remain fulfilling.
The challenges may grow, but so will our ability to meet them, creating a positive feedback loop that opens ourselves up to even higher levels of success. In order to do this, we must embrace success as a natural stage in our personal progression.
All uncredited pictures from pixabay.com or my personal account
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