To be better at overcoming fear of failure do 8 things.

A good friend is one of the most talented musicians I have ever met. 

He auditioned for American Idol and made the show. The judges told him his passion for Christian music would be a liability if he wanted to become a star. His response, he gave up.

One of the biggest obstacles to success is the fear of failure.

Failing is one thing, but fear of failure is far more insidious. It prevents us from achieving our dreams by convincing us the effort is futile.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, researchers found that successful people focus on results rather than focusing on attempting not to fail.

Sounds simple right, but it’s difficult when the ramifications for failure seem so severe.

So, what’s the answer? Things I talk about often. Being more optimistic and remaining positive! 

Successful people view failure as a necessary part of success. They have a growth mindset and don’t consider setbacks as fatal.

Ask Elon Musk. Despite numerous failures, he continues to innovate and push forward with big ambitions.

Much of our success in life is the product of what we do. However, what we think is equally as important.

"Failure isn't fatal, but failure to change might be" - John Wooden

Here are 8 things that can help improve our relationship with fear of failing:

Ignorance. When we make a mistake, admit it. In a recent LinkedIn video, we made a typo. Several people pointed it out. I said thank you, admitted the editing error and moved on. When someone points out a mistake, I don’t take it personally. I am grateful. Most people mean well, and they are just trying to help. However, it’s easy to get defensive and ignore the problem. Pretend it didn’t happen. Blame someone. In addition, if a friend needs some honest feedback, provide it. Ignorance is no justification for not speaking up, and constructive criticism doesn't have to be a personal indictment.

Excuses. We need to stop making excuses. Blame and lack of personal responsibility is epidemic today. Many people need someone or something to blame for their personal failures. When we stop making excuses, we gain credibility and integrity. Relying on excuses dismisses personal culpability and immediately requires something outside our control requires "fixing" for us to succeed.

Plan. Admitting a mistake is great but failing to act on making improvements demonstrates lack of commitment to making things better. When we screw up, let’s focus on creating a plan to resolve the situation, then facilitate action.

“Success is most often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable.” - Coco Chanel

Prevention. In addition to having a plan for fixing a setback, we should devise a plan for avoiding mistakes in the first place. There’s no better way to ensure failure won’t become a perpetual problem then to have a plan to avoid "problems" in the first place. Very few problems are original. Learn from other people’s mistakes and don’t repeat them.

Persevere. Failure often makes people apprehensive about trying again in the future. Developing a growth mind set consistent with success will ensure we put failure in its proper place. It’s a set back, let's not overanalyze. Process the mistake and move on. Focus on developing a positive attitude that never surrenders. Disappointment and rejection are inevitable. Developing the mental strength to endure setbacks is equally as important as the steps we take to avoid them. 

Viewpoint. Perspective is imperative for managing failure. People that bounce back from failure recognize the error was a product of something they did, not something they are. I believe people that fail often develop a pattern of making failure a product of their perceived imperfections. I am lazy. I am dumb. This gives people a license to dismiss any personal responsibility in favor of something outside their control. It’s easy to give up when we have someone to blame or some personality flaw that resulted in failure.

Optimistic. Optimistic people manage failure very differently. A study in Great Britain examined hundreds of entrepreneurs and discovered optimistic entrepreneurs never quit. Pessimistic entrepreneurs gave up after their first failure. Pessimists believe failure is permanent. Optimists forge ahead realizing setbacks are part of the journey.

Press on. Being positive and optimistic are great, but successful people utilize those remarkable attributes to press on. They turn that positive energy into positive momentum. People with persistence never give up, especially when they know their path and vision are clear. When equipped with a winning attitude, we are unstoppable.

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” - Paulo Coelho

Sum it up

How we view failure is critical for success. I don’t like the word failure, I prefer setbacks. The psychology of the term is less ominous and more forgiving.

How do you handle setbacks? Share your thoughts in the comments section and please like and share this article. I love learning from you as well.

About Steve:

Steve Wohlenhaus is CEO of Weatherology, the leading company in the world at disseminating audio weather information.  Steve began his career as a major market television weather anchor in Minneapolis, where he received several Emmy Awards for science programming. Steve is an author and host of the podcast program Anatomy of Success. Reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn. Learn more about my work and grab the free Weatherology mobile app by clicking any picture in this article!