Is Fear Of Failure Holding You Back

What’s one fear you know is holding you back?

Fear of failure. I think this is true for most human beings, so there is almost no need to say much more. It is the fear that we will fail at whatever it is we contemplate attempting - personally, professionally, or otherwise.We are conditioned this way - failure is looked down upon.What everyone should learn and be taught, is that failure makes one stronger. We should emphasize the value of lessons learned through failure, and the strength of character one develops through the process of trying; regardless of the outcome.Nevertheless, the human culture is what it is - people elevate themselves by pointing out others’ failures; hence, making it culturally difficult to FAIL. As if, each of us has to accountable for our failures to anyone else but ourselves.DO NOT BE AFRAID TO FAIL. Do not be afraid to TRY. Life is too short. And, ultimately, it is your own. In the end, when you look back and consider all the things you should/could have done and accomplished, you will realize that the accountability - whether it is for your successes, or for your failures - it to yourself alone.

How do you write without a fear of failure holding you back?

You’re a perfectionist. And it’s killing your writing.Here’s how to overcome that:When you’re writing, write your first draft as quickly as you can. Re-write nothing. Skip over bad grammar. Speed and length are your goals. Get all of your ideas down, even the order doesn’t matter much. Getting them on paper is what matters. Make a mistake? Forget it.When you are finished with your first draft, now is the time to apply standards. Organize with care—what should be told first should come first, what should be told last should come last. Work slowly through your sentences, polishing them one by one. Fix your mistakes. No hurry. Be deliberate.Then cut the entire document by 10%. This is stuff you felt just had to be there, but it didn’t. Give it up. Few documents can’t be improved by shortening them.One old writer’s hint: never throw anything away. Never delete. Make a new file. Keep the old one. It may contain hidden gems and you’d kick yourself if you trashed them.

Is fear of failure holding you back from becoming a successful entrepreneur?

In a word, NO. Let me explain - I am a chartered accountant, and I am supposed to be ultra conservative as per others in the profession. I did not want to be another pin stripe suited accountant, with a 9–5 job with partner or CFO aspirations, as the path seemed lonely, boring, and in the company of people that I did not want to end up being like. With both my parents passing away early, I know the time value of life. I know only too well, that we have a limited life, I did not want to do the same old boring things to get the same old boring results! I wanted to speed up my life, my experiences, my fun, happiness, wealth, spending as much time with my 2 boys and family. I took a huge gamble, went into a totally new field (property investing), and never looked back.It was never the fear of failure, rather the value of TIME, that drove me to become a successful entrepreneur…..what is failure? A small setback, a loss that can be offset from profits when you rise up again….All the best.

How do you overcome the fear of entrepreneurial failure?

You have to come to a few realizations:If you don't try you have already failed yourself.If you're the type of person capable of creating something great, not doing it is a disservice to all those you can affect through your efforts, including your customers and society, but also your friends and family.  You will have failed them, too.When you do try and fail, the pain is extreme but temporary.  When you fail to try, the pain starts out mild but builds over time and lasts forever until you die having lived a life of regret.Most people don't judge people for trying and failing.  But most do judge those they consider lazy, or who they know are capable of more than they amount to.These things are not opinions, they're facts.  Ignoring them almost definitely results in leading a fraction of the life you could have.  You only get one shot at life.  Do you want to get a job working for someone who takes risks and resent them for their accomplishments, or do you want to take risks and achieve more while creating more for the people you care about?There are a lot of people who try and fail, and there are a lot of things that will get in the way of your success, but the only surefire way not to succeed is not to try.  It seems less painful to think that you probably could have done that thing if you really wanted to but didn't, as opposed to trying and failing and believing you weren't good enough.  But eventually you realize the worst of it - not only were you not good enough to do it, you weren't even good enough to try.Failing is painful but believe me, bottling up your desire to achieve more and living a life of excuses is the easiest way to resent yourself and your life when you grow older.  The difference is, one goes away eventually and you feel proud that you had the gall to give it a go.  The other lingers like a tense anxiousness in your chest and is a constant reminder of your cowardice.And lastly, the most amazing thing about becoming an entrepreneur is the overwhelming support you will receive from other entrepreneurs.  The people who really matter in your life will not judge you by your failures.  Everybody who is creating something knows how hard it is.  Undoubtedly they will applaud your efforts and successes, and most will make themselves available in times of failure and depression.  You will only know when you get out there and do it.