Are you afraid to try something new because you might fail? A lot of people seem frozen by the fear of failure
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Try these guidelines the next time you attempt a new undertaking – and see yourself enjoying a measure of success.
Are you afraid to try something new because you might fail? A lot of people seem frozen by the fear of failure. They never participate in activities that might bring themselves embarrassment, ridicule, or humiliation. They always take the safe route—the route that offers the least chance of mishap or disappointment, the path of caution and inactivity.
The fear of failure becomes for them an emotional paralysis. It not only robs them of the excitement of achievement in a new field, the joy of mastering a new art of activity, but it also cripples their personality and spirit as physical paralysis cripples the body. Because of this fear, they sentence themselves to a lifetime confinement in a mental wheelchair, which drastically limits their horizon of discovery and happiness.
If you do have a case of this debilitating fear complex, here are three ways to help cure that disease.
1. Don’t accept the world’s definition of failure or success.
Many successful innovators and visionaries of history did not start with a popular idea. Some did not even meet the definition or
description of what the world thinks was a successful person at that time they started out their career.
Yet, society continues to dangle the counterfeit carrots of success in front of humans tempting them to join the race—the race after expensive
homes, luxurious cars, fat
bank accounts, social prestige, and
positions of authority.
Few people, it seems, stop to ask why—if possessions and position bring ultimate happiness—so many of the very rich and very famous live such dismal lives. Why do they need to visit psychiatrists so often? Why do some commit suicide at the peak of their careers?
Think –
What’s the point in joining the rat race? Are you a rat?
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2. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Another way we can minimize failure when attempting new activities or goals is to aim for reasonable achievements, not impossible ones.
Begin small and,
learn the ropes, and as your talents increase, expand into more lucrative and difficult
markets.
3. When you do fail, fail in order to succeed.
If you should fail at a new activity, turn that failure into success. Don’t brood over your failures. Analyze them, Learn from them. Find out why you failed, and turn that knowledge into a better plan for success the next time you attempt a similar project. Then put your failure behind you. Don’t let it haunt you.
The next time you attempt a new undertaking, remember these three guidelines.
When you are at a career crossroad, you may sometimes question yourself if you really are in the right job. Here are some questions that will help you rate your job satisfaction:
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