Why Success Always Starts With Failure
Fear of failure is one of the biggest and scariest things you have to overcome if you want to be successful. Sometimes you just hesitate a little and use an inspiring quote about overcoming fear to make it through the lull.
Other times you need to really decide whether or not the potential of failing is really worth the risk.
I'd argue that the worst case scenario of most situations isn't as bad as you think it is. Like Joel says, "If you're scared to death, you're doing it right."
Failure is Necessary
Tim Hartford, author of Adapt: Why Success Always Starts With Failure, was interviewed on the 99 percent about the four big lessons you need to learn about why failure leads to more success.
I really recommend that you take the five minutes and read through the whole post, but here's a quick summary.
- There is a wrong way to react to failure. Accept it and move on.
- There is a recipe for successful adaption. Experiment and try new things.
- Know how to recognize failure. Disconnect yourself from your plan and gather feedback.
- Create save places to fail. Treat life like a "college experience".
Why Does Failure Scare You?
I get emails from readers every week telling me they are afraid of something and most of the time it is the fear of failure.
In the comments of this post I'd love to hear from you about:
- What part of failure scares you most?
- Do you believe that success always starts with failure?
Don't be afraid to take risks. Determine the potential outcomes and give things a try. You might surprise yourself.