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Have you ever noticed that many highly successful people often have no special skills, knowledge or genius that would equip them for success? And that the main thing which sets them apart from less successful people is their self-confidence and ability to convince those around them of their truth, skills and competence? Many people could become great manager but they lack one thing: the ability to overcome their fear of failure. How can you prevent fear, mostly unfounded, from ruining your professional career?
Why are we afraid of failure in the first place? As a Brian Tracy blog post states, the reason is fear of the unknown. The human mind is naturally programmed to feel comfortable in the status quo, the way things are at the moment, because the unknown may conceal potential danger. So the first step towards overcoming the fear of failure and gaining self-confidence is realising that fear of the unknown is natural but you can overcome it if you choose to.
Another psychological trick to help you prevent paralysis by thoughts of failure is to envisage success. Imagine what it will be like when you achieve what you want. Take it as a given that you have already achieved success and try not to dwell on the idea of failure at all.
Fear of failure is often caused by low self-esteem or manifestations of the so-called imposter syndrome. People frequently get so caught up in these thoughts that they forget everything they have objectively succeeded at. Try to reverse this principle and write down what you are objectively good at, what you have done well in your life and what makes you unique. You may be surprised how many accomplishments in your life you can be proud of.
The road to success is paved with partial failures. Legend has it that Colonel Sanders, whose face is depicted on the KFC logo, was rejected a total of 1,009 times with his recipe for fried chicken and concept for a new fast food chain. Only then did KFC become a national, and subsequently an international hit. Or comedian Bill Burr, currently one of the most respected and highest paid stand-up comedians in the US, has stated how, for several years early in his career, he was consistently booed off stage. You must not be discouraged by failures. Regard them as opportunities and do not allow partial failures to paralyse your further journey to success.
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