Fear of failure can leave our thoughts in a mess.
When we do not feel good enough to succeed, everything becomes confusing — it seems as though we are almost certain to embarrass ourselves, whatever we do.
Of course, that is not true, but the feeling can be strong — especially when we work outside our comfort zone — and that can be exhausting.
So what can we do?
Here is what I do:
• I remind myself that if I am too afraid of failure, I will never be able to do what I need to do to succeed.
• I remind myself that failure is not actually the worst outcome — succeeding in life at the wrong things, or never even trying, are far worse outcomes.
You have to push yourself. You have to be willing to move forward. If you try something and fail, you have learned a lesson and gained invaluable experience. Next time, you will be one step ahead of those who never tried.
If you do not try because of an unfounded fear, you have learned nothing, and you will probably keep standing still because fear has trapped you in a habit. Standing still is exhausting too.
Remember, there is a big difference between unproductive fatigue and exhaustion that feels fulfilling.
Life is short.
Invest in activities that move you forward.
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