Pushing Through Fear To Achieve Success

One of the biggest factors that prevents people from succeeding is fear of failure. Not only does fear prevent us from succeeding, but it can also prevent us from starting something in the first place!

Some fear is healthy, such as the kind we need for our survival and protection. For example, we’re afraid of the consequences of getting too close to the edge of a cliff, because we might go off the edge if we get too close. Also, we use hot pads or an oven mitt to pull a dish out of the oven, because we would burn ourselves if we attempted to do it with our bare hands.

The kind of fear that holds us back, though, is irrational fear – the stories we make up in our mind that aren’t based in reality. This type of fear causes us to make choices based on what we think is true, even though we have no concrete evidence of that being the case.

The good news is, you can move through that fear. You can use it to push past your comfort zone, and to grow in the process. Once you realize how much fear has unnecessarily held you back, and begin to experience “wins” as a result of pushing through those fears, you can use that momentum to fuel success – however you define it. 

Here are five ways to overcome fear, and create the success you desire:

1. Put it in perspective

As I wrote earlier, some fear is healthy, while other fear holds us back. Understanding the difference between the two will help you to put your fear in its proper perspective when it shows up. Ideally, you will get to a place where you can treat your apprehension as information, rather than as a barrier. 

2. Name it

What is it that you fear? What’s standing in the way of accomplishing your goals and aspirations? Invest some time identifying what’s holding you back. Acknowledge it, and think about where those feelings are coming from. Jot down some notes on a piece of paper or in your journal, and then describe what life will look like once you overcome your fear.

3. Confront it

Mark Twain wrote, “Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.” This quote encourages us to face our fears head on. 

When I think about this, I’m reminded of a story a friend told me about how she was always afraid to go into the basement at night. The “bogeyman” lurked there, apparently. Whenever she mustered the courage to go down to the basement though, she discovered her fears were unfounded, and there was no bogeyman.

The same holds true for most of our fears. When you do the very thing you fear, you often discover your anxiety was just an illusion – a story you made up in your mind.

4. Do something bold

One of the scariest things I’ve ever done is walking on fire. You can read more about the experience in my article, “Feel the Fire and Do It Anyway.”

The fire walk is an experiential metaphor for creating breakthroughs and facing and overcoming fears. It doesn’t eliminate the fear, but rather shows us how to take action in spite of that fear.

Whether you walk on fire, or skydive, or sing karaoke in public, doing something bold is empowering, to say the least. Once you face a fear of that magnitude, you’ll be better equipped to deal with the apprehension you have around other fears. Armed with the reference of your bold experience, you’ll be reminded that you can do anything you put your mind to.

5. Be willing to fail

In the pursuit of a goal, especially one of any significance, it’s rare that we accomplish it without struggle. There are obstacles in our path, and navigating through them, or around them, or over them, is part of the process. 

Most people hate failure, so they avoid taking action that might cause them to fail. Instead of avoiding what you fear, what if you treated failure as a stepping stone to success? 

Those who have achieved significant success have done so because of their willingness to fail. Instead of thinking of failure as the enemy of success, they use failure as an opportunity to learn. They’re not intimidated by failure – they embrace it as part of the process.

6. Seek the support of others

Risk is scary, and sometimes you need a little help to navigate through the uncertainty, and achieve your goals. In my coaching practice, I help my clients take the steps they need to overcome their fear, and create the results they want to achieve in life.

Whether you work with a coach, or simply talk with a friend or accountability partner, objective feedback from others can provide another perspective, and help you see things you might not notice on your own.

Fear is an emotion that can be overcome with practice. In time, it will no longer hold you back, regardless of the outcome. You’ll develop the resilience needed to persevere through temporary adversity, and to redefine failure as learning lessons that move you closer to your goals. Your approach to goal achievement will be strengthened, and you will come to realize that you are stronger than any obstacle standing in your way.

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?