How To Overcome The Fear Of Failure

Believe or not, if you want to overcome the fear of failure, become an entrepreneur and go into business for yourself. Most successful business owners are comfortable pushing themselves to the limit and taking risks. An entrepreneur develops a different mindset than your average person who works 9-5.

To a businessperson, failure is welcomed and is viewed as a stepping stone to success. It stands for bravery and is viewed as a sign that they've learned a valuable lesson. Successful business people understand that they learn more from their failures than they do from successes. This is not to suggest that you should experience more failures than successes and tout them as badges of honor. But if it happens, a failure shouldn't be seen as a bad thing. Embrace it, grow from it and use the experience as a stepping stone to reach the next level in your growth.

Here are five tips on how to turn failure into a benefit:

1. Accept responsibility and don't blame others. It’s easy to blame someone else for your failures. Act responsibly for you actions. When you blame others for your failures, you'll never learn from your mistakes. Are you going to envision yourself as a master of change or a victim of change?

2. Concentrate on the positive, not the negative. In every negative situation, there is something positive that can be gleaned from it. The key is to make a mental shift in the way you think about things. You need to start seeing the glass as half full instead of half empty.

3. Study and profit from your mistakes. Mistakes can be priceless lessons. Learn from them rather than harboring feelings of loss. Making mistakes teach you to work smarter, not harder which is the focus of an entrepreneur, while not making mistakes is the focus of an employee.

4. Consider failure an asset. Failures help you identify areas that need adjustments, so establish your business on the premise that when you experience failure, it is an ongoing part of growth and can be viewed as an asset.

5. Strive for success, not perfection. Don’t sit around waiting for the right time to take action. Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction. When your efforts don't meet your standards, focus on mastering that particular skill over time without compelling yourself to be so perfect that nothing gets done in your business.

The most important thing is to set small goals and once you have accomplished them, move on to much greater goals. Focus on one step at a time. Achieving short term goals will give you a sense of accomplishment, prevent you from feeling overwhelmed and help build your confidence.

In understanding how to overcome the fear of failure, it is important to note that failures are a collection of mistakes and conditions that test your resilience. In the end, resiliency is the key to your survival. It is a fact that every entrepreneur encounters failures but they possess the ability to re-engage quickly after minor stumbling blocks. When you focus your attention on what you have accomplished rather than the mistakes you’ve made, you will be able to approach the next task in your business with a clear head and stronger conviction.