Have you experienced so many failures in life, such as failing the board exam twice, inability to get through job interviews, or being defeated in singing contests?
Are you discouraged from trying again? Or do you consider yourself a complete loser because of those downfalls?
It is normal to fail because humans are not perfect. The best thing you can do to conquer your fear of failure is to set your mind on the truth that you can do better next time.
If those experiences left you traumatized and now you are afraid to try again, then here are 7 tips to help you overcome self-doubt:
1. Read the stories of successful people who failed a lot of times before their breakthroughs
One of the best ways to unfear failure is by understanding that all successful people have gone through discouraging failures first before they have achieved their rewards. Instead of being hopeless, most of them used their letdowns as a motivation to try harder in order to succeed. In the end, they have proven that failures can be your stepping stones to a new summit—it just depends on your perspective.
2. Know that failure is part of success
You are not perfect, so you cannot expect yourself to achieve your target goals perfectly at the first try. Life is a series of trial and error, and it just depends on you when to stop trying. Just know that you can never win if you quit, and there will always be a chance to win as long as you do not quit.
3. Condition your mind to be a risk-taker so you will not regret anything afterward
Life is a gamble—meaning there is no guarantee that you will always win. However, if you fear failures, then you will be afraid to take risks. This may save you from ‘embarrassments’—if you consider failures as such—but you will always be left with ‘what ifs’. Seeing others achieve what you have always wanted would make you regret the opportunities you ran away from.
4. Understand that failure is not something to be ashamed of
The only things that one should be embarrassed about are criminal acts. Unless you have harmed other people, you do not have to be ashamed of committing errors. Just so you know, a failure does not define a person, but it is his/her character instead.
5. Stop thinking about what others will say about you
One of the reasons why most people are afraid of failures is because of what others will say. It is normal for humans to desire approval and appreciation from others, but it is not healthy to base your worth on how others perceive you. Remember that no one has the right to judge you, and even those who do have their own shares of mistakes too.
6. Take every failure as an opportunity to improve your craft
Instead of being discouraged whenever you fail, use it as a challenge to try harder next time. Find out why you have failed, and figure out how you can avoid the same mistake in your next try. Learn from those mistakes and apply that learning to get a better result next time.
7. Think of failure as a test of your character
What makes a failure worse is if you fail to respond the right way to it. Most of the time, failures happen in your life to test your character. There are some who resort to blaming others, criticizing those who have succeeded, and not being sport enough to accept defeat. On the other hand, the best way to respond to such a situation is by being humble, open to suggestions and criticisms, and persistent to do better.
