Overcoming Fear of Failure
Did you know...
...there are blogs DEVOTED to failure where people take pleasure in seeing others fall flat on their face.
Sad.
No wonder the fear of failure can strangle us senseless.
Trust me... I've been there.
- I've spent $10k to create dud websites...
- I've been suckered into spending $2k on FAILED marketing campaigns...
- I've blown through TENS OF THOUSANDS to create failed products...
- I've wasted MONTHS going in circles and spinning my wheels...
It happens to ALL of us. It sucked. But I made it through.
There are two MAJOR lessons that you MUST take from this.
1. Fail fast.
The faster you fail...
...the faster you'll find out that something isn't going to work...
...the faster you find something that DOES work.
Sounds easy on paper, but hard to put into practice, especially if it means your "baby" for the last 3 years turns out to be fool's gold.
Sobering? Yes.
But better now, than never. Drop it, learn from it, then move forward.
2. Fail hard.
Take away EVERYTHING from a man... his possessions, his clothing, his home, his safety, and even his dignity... and you have a man who's got nothing to lose.
And with nothing to lose, he's got EVERYTHING to gain.
Here's harsh reality #1:
The harder you fall, the higher you bounce.
And here's harsh reality #2:
Failure is dished out to everyone. Including the gurus and celebrities and EVERY member of the human family.
If there's an opportunity for success, then there's an opportunity for failure. So if you're serious about your online business, your goals, your dreams, then you must GO BIG... or go back to your day job.
There are no halfsies and no do-overs. Suck it up and accept it.
Failure is real. But you can overcome your fear of failure.
Starting NOW: Wipe away the tears, clench your fists, lose your fear of failure, and trudge on.
To your success,
Ronnie Nijmeh
13 Responses to Overcoming Fear of Failure
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Thank you so much, Ronnie - this post totally rocks!! I'm feeling PUMPED, too! :)
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Awesome post, Ronnie! Here's some remarkable quotes on failure I'd like to share with you and your readers. These are quotes by Dr. Robert H. Schuller:
Failure doesn’t mean you were dumb to try; it means you had courage to explore and experiment to see what would work and what would not.
Failure doesn’t mean you don’t know how to make decisions; it just means you have to make another decision.
Failure doesn’t mean you’re a failure… It does mean you haven’t succeeded yet.
Failure doesn’t mean you have accomplished nothing… It does mean you have learned something.
Failure doesn’t mean you have been a fool… It does mean you had a lot of faith.
Failure doesn’t mean you’ve been disgraced… It does mean you were willing to try.
Failure doesn’t mean you don’t have it… It does mean you have to do something in a different way.
Failure doesn’t mean you are inferior… It does mean you are not perfect.
Failure doesn’t mean you’ve wasted your life… It does mean you have a reason to start afresh.
Failure doesn’t mean you should give up… It does mean you must try harder.
Failure doesn’t mean you’ll never make it… It does mean it will take a little longer.
Failure doesn’t mean you’re finished… It does mean you have a chance to try something new.
Failure is never final!
Attitude is what makes the difference between those who succeed and those who fail. If you could live by Dr. Schuller’s definitions of failure and take on a change of attitude toward failure, then it’d be safe to say you’re well on your way to success.
Cheers~
Mark
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Thanks for sharing these words of wisdom, Mark! It's a great boost for the end of the week! :)
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Ronnie
You hit the nail on the head even though it's painful. I have failed in the past, and I'm sure I'll fail in the future. The only way to keep from failing is to stop moving. But the one lesson I've learned from my failures is to become more skilled at figuring out who to trust.
Mark Foo thanks for posting that quote. There have been a many of time the same way.
But I've learned that if I'm failing I'm moving. If I'm moving I'm growing. If I'm growing I'm succeeding. -
Linda, you're absolutely right!
I love what you said: "If I’m failing, I’m moving. If I’m moving, I’m growing. If I’m growing, I’m succeeding."
That's great! Thanks for sharing your wisdom. :)
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Definitely good stuff here, guys! Wow - did I ever need this post today! Going to come back and print all this out when I get back from the ball game.
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Great post Ronnie and the quotes are awesome Mark. I used to fear failure but now I fail forward into success!
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Anita Fiander says:
Hi Folks:
I am no different then others. I too have failed and hopefully I will again. This is not meant as sarcasm.
Each time I have failed I have learned, and I have been able to pass this on to help others. I have also been able to reach my goals faster and with better clarity.
The first thing I ask myself after a failure now (or even just a down in the dumps time) is What is great about this?
I have never failed to find something of "value" through what I thought were some of the roughest times of my life.
Great post Ronnie and the comments "food for thought" Thanks!
Be Well,
Anita -
Eineke Alexander says:
I can tell now that I am in with a great group of people who really want each other to succeed. I took my first failure this week. This really helps put some spring back in my step!
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Good post Ronnie. Like yourself I 'made it through"!
Have you noticed that almost all successful, self made entrepreneurs have a very positive outlook on things. Look at Richard Branson for instance.
Every single person who has achieved great success on their own merit, can usually tell stories of crippling failures as well.
I am not one for daily motivational rituals but if anybody can sit down and listen to this 30 minute recording by Earl Nightingale Conant they will find a real eye opener and a lot of answers...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8448018326921957619#
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Thanks for the comment and for the video link. Funny you mention that, I was just watching a short film called "Butterfly Circus" last night and it was all about hope. The key line from it: "The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph."
If you have 20 minutes, watch it here: Butterfly Circus. (Just click play, you don't need to be logged in to watch).
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Anyone who reads the stories of Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Edison will be inspired. Talk about not giving up! Nothin is really a failure if we learn from it.
This is AWESOME!!!
I've been going through a tough time, but I now feel PUMPED.
Thanks Ronnie!!