How to Overcome Your Fear of Failure and Unlock Your Potential

We all want to succeed in life and reach our goals, but many of us are held back by a fear of failure. This fear can manifest itself in different ways: we may become anxious when faced with challenging tasks, procrastinate on important tasks, or even avoid taking risks altogether.

But the truth is that fear of failure is something that we can overcome, as these fears are formulated in our minds. By learning to be more mindful and developing the right strategies, we can start to unlock our potential and achieve our goals. 🫶

In this blog post, I’ll explore what the fear of failure is and why we have it, as well as share some strategies for overcoming your fear and unlocking your potential.

What is Fear of Failure?

Fear of failure is an emotional response that can arise when we are faced with a task or situation that we believe we may not be able to complete successfully. 😟

This fear can be triggered by a wide range of situations, from taking a test or starting a new job to making an important decision or taking on a new challenge.

When we feel that we may not be able to succeed in a certain task, we can experience a range of emotions including anxiety, fear, and even shame. This fear of failure can be so powerful that it can prevent us from taking risks, trying new things, and achieving our goals. 🙃

Recognising that failure is a normal and necessary part of personal growth and learning is essential. Learning from failures and using them as opportunities for improvement can help individuals cope with and eventually overcome this fear.

It’s important to remember that failure is not a reflection of a person’s worth, but rather a stepping stone on the path to success and personal development.

fear of failure

Reasons You Might Be Afraid of Failure

There are a number of reasons why we might be afraid of failure. One common reason is that we are afraid of disappointing others, especially if they have high expectations of us.

Another reason is that we may be worried about how we will be viewed by others if we fail. 👀

It is also possible that we may have experienced some form of failure in the past and feel that we are not capable of succeeding in the future.

We may also be afraid of failure because we believe that if we fail, we will not be able to move forward and achieve our goals.

Strategies to Overcome the Fear of Failure

Now that we have explored what fear of failure is and why we have it, it’s time to look at some strategies for overcoming it. Here are some tips for tackling your fear of failure and unlocking your potential:

Develop a Growth Mindset

One of the most effective ways to overcome the fear of failure is to develop a growth mindset. This involves looking at failure not as an end, but as an opportunity to learn and grow.

A growth mindset encourages us to take risks, embrace challenges, and look for ways to improve. It allows us to view failure as a learning experience and an opportunity to become better. 🤗

Take a look at our Personal Growth Bundle to find out more.

Visualise Success

Visualising success can be a powerful tool for overcoming fear of failure. Visualising ourselves succeeding can help us to be more confident, reduce anxiety, and take the first steps towards achieving our goals.

It is important to remember that visualising success does not mean that you will definitely succeed, but it can help you to build the confidence and motivation to take risks and move forward. 😀

To help with visualisation it would help to have a vision board. You can do this year by year or have an overview of the life you are trying to create. – Pinterest would be a great place to start with ideas.

fear of failure

Break Your Goals Into Smaller Steps

When we have a goal that we want to achieve, it can often seem like an insurmountable task. This can be overwhelming and can lead to fear of failure.

To help combat this fear, it is important to break your goals into smaller, achievable steps. This can help to make the task seem more manageable and reduce the fear of failure. 😊

Want to become a master at setting goals? Check out our mini-course: How to Set Goals and Achieve Them

Accept That Failure is Part of the Process

It is important to remember that failure is part of the process of achieving your goals. Failure does not mean that you are not capable of achieving success, it either means that you have not found the right path yet or you just need to keep going. 🛣️

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes knowing when to quit and when to keep going can be hard. You have to think to yourself, am I going to regret this? or is this the best decision I can make for myself right now?

Accepting that failure is part of the process can help you to stay motivated and keep trying. It can also help to reduce the fear of failure and give you the confidence to take risks and try new things. 😊

Reach Out for Support

Reaching out for support can be a powerful tool for overcoming fear of failure. Talking to family, friends, and mentors can help to remind us that we are not alone and that there are people in our lives who are willing to help us. All you have to do is ask! 🗣️

Having a supportive network can also provide us with encouragement and motivation to keep going, even when we feel like giving up.

Celebrate Your Small Wins

It is important to celebrate our small wins and successes, no matter how small they may seem. Celebrating our successes can help to boost our confidence and remind us that we are capable of achieving our goals. Because you are! 🏆

It is also important to remember that failure does not define us; it is a part of the learning process. Acknowledging our successes, no matter how small, can help to keep us motivated and remind us that success is possible.

Conclusion – Unlocking Your Potential

Fear of failure can be a powerful emotion that can hold us back from achieving our goals. But with the right strategies, we can start to overcome our fear and unlock our potential.

By developing a growth mindset, visualising success, breaking our goals into smaller steps, accepting that failure is part of the process, reaching out for support, and celebrating our small wins, we can start to move forward and achieve our goals. 🎯

So don’t let your fear of failure stand in the way of your success. Start to take small steps today and unlock your potential!

Pin this post for a reminder 📌 👇

Related Blog

Things to Say “No” to for you to Live a Happier Life

How to Stop Settling For Less Than You Deserve

How to Become the Best Version of Yourself: A Guide For 20-Somethings

Habits/Routines

READ THE LATEST

How to Effectively Set Boundaries in the Workplace

Self-discipline

10 Toxic Habits That Are Stealthily Draining Your Energy

Top 10 tips

A Comprehensive Guide on How to Do a Life Audit

Goal setting

Revolutionise Your Routine: Practical Strategies to Make Time for Yourself

Intentional living

Want to be successful in life? Learn how to have Self-discipline.

CONTINUE READING

Self-discipline

practice gratitude

Habits/Routines

Why you need to practice gratitude to change your life

“Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we’re not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy- because we will always want to have something else or something more”.

Br. David Steindl-Rast

It’s no secret that practicing gratitude is good for you. Those who have a more grateful personality are in a better position to find satisfaction in life. 🧘

We all have the ability and opportunity to cultivate gratitude. Rather than complaining about the things you wish you had, reflect on the things you do have.

Quick exercise: Look around you right now and write down/mentally note three things that you can see that you’re grateful for. Whether it’s your sister annoying you from the other side of the room or the comfy bed you’re laying in with your hot water bottle. 🥰

I would say that I’m pretty good in regards to practicing gratitude, but I’m becoming a lot better by seeing and feeling the benefits it has. I usually take for granted the legs that I have to walk on, the food I eat every day or the roof over my head. It’s good to remind yourself of all your blessings.

practice gratitude

The other day I filled up a jug of water to put in my car for with windscreen wipers and while I was carrying this heavy jug of water, I stopped to think about all the people in developing countries who would give anything just to take a sip of what I was carrying to put in an inanimate object and it made me feel even more grateful for the life that I have. 🥲 

“Change your attitude, change your life”

Savouring your positive experiences makes them stick in your brain and increases their benefits to your psyche – and the key is expressing gratitude for the experience. That’s one of the ways gratitude and appreciation go hand in hand. – Psychologist Fred Bryant. 

Showing gratitude is not merely saying “thank you” when you receive something, we all do that (well we should) but there’s so much more to it.

Let’s graduate from basic to advanced gratitude. It’s easy to feel grateful when great things happen, but no-one feels grateful when they find out they didn’t get the job they wanted or the house they wanted. Usually in these moments feeling grateful for anything flies out the window. Rightly so, but guess what? 🤔

Even in these low moments, there can still be positive outcomes. 🙂

practice gratitude

Maybe you didn’t get the job you wanted because there’s a closer, more stimulating and higher paying job waiting for you, or you didn’t get the house you wanted because your dream home you don’t know about yet is about to go on sale. 🏡

Never lose hope.

Daily gratitude habits can help you connect with your sense of inner peace, especially when you need it most. It improves our health and mental well-being, affecting our career and relationships.

Here are a few ways you can start to practice gratitude:

Start a gratitude journal

Choose a time in the day where you have 5-10 minutes to yourself for reflection, whether it’s the first thing you do in the morning, during lunchtime or just before you’re about to go to bed.

Coendure up 3-5 things each day you are currently grateful for. From the small things (the expensive lipstick you’ve always wanted has gone on sale/ your favourite flowers are in bloom) to the exceptional (Finding the love of your life/witnessing your child’s first steps). 👣

You can choose any notebook but preferably a notebook that stands out to you, as this is a journal you should plan to keep for a very long time so that your future self can thank you for it.

Imagine yourself 5 years from now having kept your journal all that time. How different do you think you’ll be?  Do you think you’ll be more positive? Feel less stressed? More enthusiastic about life in general?

OF COURSE!

Take the first steps towards that “future you” today by starting your gratitude journal.

Express in person


Expressing gratitude in person can be extremely effective. Whether it’s face-to-face, over the phone or even through Facetime. Let someone know in detail the impact that they have created in your life.

Your bond will become stronger as the dynamic in your relationship changes and create a long-lasting friendship or partnership.

It’s often the simplest gesture that speak volumes in showing your gratitude. We all have amazing people in our lives who inspire us and generally make life better by being in it.

It’s time to let them know that before it’s too late. ❤️

practice gratitude


Live mindfully


Living mindfully requires patience and dedication. It also requires you to break out of old habits and patterned behaviours that make us focus on things we cannot change.

Consciously throughout the day take the time to pay attention to your surroundings and the details of your environment that you take for granted.

Notice the colour of the flowers you walk by every morning or the shape of the leaves that crunch under your feet (Who doesn’t love the sound of a crunchy leaf? 🍂). When you notice the small details of your surroundings, ask yourself questions about why these things are the way they are and not any different.

These questions will allow you to draw deeper into the moment and will help you develop a habit of mindfulness.

RELATED: Want to learn more about mindfulness? Check out me eBook here! >> The keys to self-mastery

Focus on intentions


When you receive a gift or someone has done something nice for you, consider the fact that someone willingly chose to bring positivity into your life even at a cost to themselves. 🎁

Acknowledging other’s thoughtfulness towards you goes a long way toward cultivating an attitude of gratitude.

Being consciously aware of your present moment will help you gain better insights into other people’s behaviour, intentions and motives.

Even if you don’t 100% know whether someone’s intentions are good or bad, it’s always good to assume positive intent.

When we choose to believe positive intent, we find ourselves having better relationships, higher quality communication, stronger bonds of trust and the opportunities for growth are exponential.


What’s your favourite way to practice gratitude?

To summarise, the simple act of expressing gratitude can and will change your life in several different ways. Start your journey towards gratitude enlightenment by jotting down what you’re grateful for and find productive ways to express it using the tips listed in this post.

When was the last time you expressed gratitude and who was it to? Let me know in the comments section!

Pin this post for a reminder 📌 👇

Related Blogs

How to raise your standards and live your best life

What your daily habits and routines say about you

How to build lasting self-esteem

read more

Did you know that people on my email list sometimes get exclusive discounts on my products? Join the community and save yourself some coins!

Freshly-squeezed inspiration, and no-nonsense tips + tricks to improve your life delivered to your inbox weekly.

Subscribe to my newsletter

Subscribe