Many of us have, at one time or another, become so overwhelmed with a fear of failure that we decide not to pursue a goal, dream or task we had in mind, no matter how big or small it may be. It’s a perfectly understandable fact, but it’s also an unfortunate one, because sometimes what we learn from a failure can be exactly what we needed to get to that next step.
That’s the subject of an article at the website WorkAwesome.com. Entitled How Failure Can Help You Succeed, it looks at five factors that can make failures more of a help for moving forward rather than another reason to hold back, and offers some valid points on why a fear of failure is not enough of a justification to make an attempt at something new.
Here’s one of their points:
Benefit #2 – Failure offers time for reflection.
If we were always moving full speed ahead towards our view of success, we might not take the time to look around and readjust our course. Just because you are able to be successful in a particular endeavor or career field doesn’t mean that it’s right for you.
Failure is sometimes just the Universe’s way of telling us to look around and make sure we are dedicated enough to the path we are on to keep on truckin’. If we aren’t where we need or want to be, it’s the perfect time to readjust the sails and move in another direction.
Let’s say you come out of a project that didn’t go so well. Maybe you missed a deadline, maybe the end result just didn’t mesh with your boss or the client for whom it was prepared.
You can look at it as the end of the world, sure – all that time and effort and you weren’t quite as successful as you thought you’d be. But what’s the point? We already know we aren’t guaranteed to hit the mark every time. Maybe the time spent after a not-so-successful project is better spent thinking about any adjustments we may need to make on our current path, which could lead to more victories in the future.
The article also talks about how failure can help us look at what needs to be done better next time, how it can offer the motivation required to keep moving forward, how it can offer insights to those around you, and how it helps you confront fear head-on. It’s worth a read, and not just for any general audience – who among us hasn’t had the self-doubt inflicted by a fear of failure prevent us from our goals?
What did you think? Did you find this article useful? Have you had your own conflicts that stem from a fear of failure? How did you handle them? Your thoughts are always welcome, so let us know!
