8 Tips to Overcome Your Fear of Failure

Fear of failure is one of the main things that hinder an entrepreneur from being successful in the business.

It can delay one’s personal and business growth. And also leads a person to feel stuck and fear to move forward.

Most of the time, the fear of failure does us more harm than we can truly ever know. More often than not, it creates more damage than the actual failure itself.

That is why we must know how to overcome this fear to move from setbacks or failures to success.

So how do you move past your fear of failure, both in doing your business and in life?

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1. Have a Mindset Shift
2. Prepare for the Business
3. Stay Motivated and Trust the Process
4. Be Your Greatest Motivator and Your Own Best Friend
5. Expect Failures but Learn to be Resilient
6. Be with Likeminded People or Have a Support Group
7. Have Hope and Cling to your Faith
8. Persist

1. Have a Mindset Shift

Most people stop at the appearance of failure. They then retreat and stop making any progress later on.

There are many causes why some people see failures as their destination. For some, it may be because of excessive perfectionism. Meaning failing to hit the mark may seem the end of their worth as a business owner.

While to others, it may be because of peer pressure or the tendency to think what other people, most especially our family and friends, may think of us if we fail in our endeavors.

The worst-case for others will be fearing the possible end of support from the people close to them if they fail on their first or second try.

This is the reason why some people tend to overanalyze and postpone their projects or side-hustles until they find everything to be totally prepared and under control.

Not that it is a bad thing, but sometimes, this over-analysis creates analysis paralysis, which delays our progress.

What I am trying to say here is we must know that failures are all part of the process.

And we must learn to persist despite the “dips” in our progress or success curve to achieve the peak of our business.

We must realize that no matter how prepared we are, there will always be things out of our control when we start doing business.

That is why it is good to see failure as part of our growth, and we must see them as an important part of business transformation and not a limitation.

This way, we will have the courage and resilience to bounce back from failures to success in our business journey.

 

2. Prepare for the Business

Of course, aside from having the right mindset towards failures, it is also equally important that we do our due research to prepare us for the business and market demands.

● Carefully review the demands for your products, and see if they are profitable enough to sustain your business in the long run.

● Check if the demand is enough to reach the financial goals you would like to achieve.

● Review your office location or your connections and check if your products are ideal for the people in your area of vicinity or network.

● Review the marketing strategies that you will use for the business. As well as the effective branding you will use for your product.

● Make sure to have enough emergency funds and capital to help to buffer the business in times of “dips.”

● Do enough soul-searching to see if you have the skills, time, resources, facility, etc., for your business.

● Reflect and be willing to tap people in your network to help your business succeed. These people can help give you an idea of more affordable suppliers, cost-efficient and better products, plus discounts to help you get started in the business.

● Be creative in knowing where your target audience is: Use TikTok, Instagram, Facebook pages, Facebook groups, emails, LinkedIn, or whatever is needed to help you network with the right people for your business.

● Be willing to invest a lot of time, money, and resources and consider that it may demand more of you in the beginning if you would establish your business and keep it going.

● Prepare and also invest in learnings and mentorships to help get you through another level in your business.

With enough preparation, we can have the confidence and peace of mind we need, despite uncontrollable situations that we will encounter.

 

3. Stay Motivated and Trust the Process

It is very important to know that failures are part of the process. And that it is an essential part of growth.

Through persisting and overcoming the roadblocks and setbacks ahead, and through trial and error, we continuously hone our skills, processes, and systems.

And these will eventually make our business sustainable in the long run.

Truly, it is through experience that we will acquire the best strategies and lessons for our business.

 

4. Be Your Greatest Motivator and Your Own Best Friend

I get you. Working for 12 hours or more every day without seeing immediate results looks frustrating.

But I have experienced firsthand, through my multiple businesses in the past, that with faith, persistence, and hard work, you can definitely achieve anything!

But you have to know first that the most crucial stage in your business is the beginning part.

When you have just started your business, it is easy to see the lack of support from your friends and family, especially if the “peaks” have not yet materialized.

This is where you need to really be courageous and totally dependent on yourself for motivation to create the vision you have in mind.

You have to be there for yourself, despite the “dips” in your success curve and despite the lack of support.

If you are not able to find support, at least have an outlet for your frustrations and thoughts. This can help you in the long run.

Start by being creative and using social media like Tiktok, Facebook, and Instagram to document your progress and to gain traffic/traction with your target audience. This is also a good marketing strategy already!

You may also do blogs to keep you motivated. Or read motivational books and watch helpful videos of successful people’s journeys.

These will help you stay focused on the bright side of achieving your goals.

You can also use your time to continually reflect on the areas of improvement that need more patching until you have created the perfect strategy intended for your target audience and your line of business.

And, of course, polishing and improving your mindset is also key to any business success.

 

5. Expect Failures but Learn to be Resilient

As per the Cambridge Dictionary (2022), resilience is the ability to be happy, successful, etc., after something difficult or bad has happened.

What I would like to say here is that bad things are inevitable. No matter how prepared we are, there will always be some things that will be out of our control.

When this happens, what is important is that we take courage to heart and have resilience.

We must see past the obstacles and roadblocks of our business processes until we continue to be fine-tuned with our methods.

I can remember this quote I resonate with, “What separates the losers from the great is the courage and strength to move forward.”

And that is called resilience.

When we have resilience, we can bounce back from failure to success without losing courage.

And that kind of bravery is what will set the trajectory of any business.

That kind of courage is what will take you places!

 

6. Be with Likeminded People or Have a Support Group

The next tip I would like to suggest when you are starting your business is to find a support system. And that is through finding a mentor, a friend, or like-minded people to help you and support you along the way.

It’s nice to learn from people who have been to places where you are going. Or have already reached the success and the goals that you are trying to achieve.

Being with this kind of people, and being able to learn from them firsthand, will give you more dividends later on than reading a book or watching some motivational videos.

You can enroll yourself in an online course, hire a career or business coach, or attend workshops and seminars to meet the right people that can help you with your business.

Sometimes, you may even find them in social events! Whether it is in a convenience store, in a hockey event, or in a sports tournament, like-minded people can be found anywhere at any time.

For modern time applications: you may even make use of Discord, Facebook, and Telegram to follow groups that are within your liking or area of expertise/business.

Knowing you are never alone in your journey and that there are lots of people to help you along the way to widen your horizon in doing things is one sure way to ease up your fears and build your business and personal success.

 

7. Have Hope and Cling to your Faith

Further, it is good to be reminded that when the going gets tough, it is also important to reflect and be reminded of our whys.

Know why you started. Remember where you came from. Then look ahead to where you are going.

Knowing your personal motivation for starting your business, as well as having brand advocacy and mission, are great motivators for you to continue your business despite any mishaps along the way.

When you are doing business not just for yourself but also for others, you’ll then find greater strength to overcome any fears to help you progress in your side-hustle.

 

8. Persist

Above all else, it is very important to understand the value of persistence.

Not only will you move forward, but you’ll also develop the curiosity, creativity, and strategic mindset to help you towards your business and professional growth.

If you persist, every failure, setback, and limitation, when they happen, will only strengthen and prepare you for your great comeback in life or business.

Persist and see yourself bounce from failure to greatness. Successful people are ALWAYS those who never give up!

Finally, it is good to be reminded that the fear of failure can cause great damage to one’s business and personal development.

I could say it can create more damage than real failure does.

This is the reason why some entrepreneurs stop before they even start their side-hustle or stop even before they reach success.

What I would like to say is that as long as you focus on your personal goals, your whys, and your business’s mission and advocacy, you’ll know for sure that the fear of failure can be overcome.

Know the reason why you are doing things. Have faith in Him, in yourself, and in the beauty of your dreams, and learn that anything is possible!

Let go of your fears and decide to have the courage to follow the path meant for you- and that is to pursue your business.

As long as we let go of our want to control everything and decide to take action and have courage, that’s when we will eventually see the personal and business transformation we’ve been looking for.

Once we decide to persist despite the obstacles, we can then fine-tune our methods and continuously reflect on our strategies and mindset. Eventually, these will yield the results that we are working hard for.

For my parting words: Take courage. Know your whys and persist. Then continuously educate yourself.

Lastly, be creative and flexible with your methods but stubborn with your goals!

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