{"id":6193,"date":"2020-01-15T18:08:09","date_gmt":"2020-01-15T22:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=6193"},"modified":"2022-03-18T15:42:10","modified_gmt":"2022-03-18T19:42:10","slug":"how-to-overcome-fear-of-failure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-overcome-fear-of-failure\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Overcome Fear of Failure\u2014A Growth Mindset Is Critical"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In general, in the fixed mindset<\/a> world, success is about proving to yourself and others that you\u2019re smart and talented<\/strong>. It\u2019s about validation. If you fail, it means you\u2019re not smart or talented, therefore failure is intolerable. If you have this mindset, it’s hard to learn how to overcome fear<\/a> of failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll cover Carol Dweck’s advice for overcoming fear of failure and discuss why fear of failure is holding you back<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Overcoming Fear of Failure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Failure is any type of setback: a  bad grade, losing a competition, not getting the job or promotion you want, being rejected. Effort is a negative \u2014 if you need it, that means you\u2019re not smart.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One reason people with a fixed mindset feel they have to be perfect is that they see every test or evaluation as a permanent<\/em> measure of their ability<\/strong>. This leads to an overwhelming fear of failure.
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For example, in a study of fifth graders, researchers told them that a certain test could measure their ability. Although the researchers provided no other information about the test, the fixed-mindset students concluded that it could not only measure how smart they were, but it could also measure how smart they\u2019d be as adults, essentially defining them forever. Growth-minded students didn\u2019t believe a test could measure how smart they were, nor did they believe it could predict how smart they\u2019d be in the future because their intelligence was always growing. This is a key to learning how to overcome fear of failure<\/a>.
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Fixed-mindset educators do in fact believe you can measure someone\u2019s ability and determine their potential. But those who\u2019ve tried to do that have been wrong repeatedly. Examples of people who were told they lacked potential include Charles Darwin, Marcel Proust, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Lucille Ball, and Jackson Pollock.
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By definition, you can\u2019t predict potential, if it\u2019s understood as the capacity to develop over time with effort and training. It\u2019s impossible to be certain of how far anyone can go with effort and training.<\/strong> For example, many of artist Paul Cezanne\u2019s early paintings were terrible. He needed time and effort to develop. Failure is not your identity. Understanding this can help you learn to deal with a fear of failure.
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Ability to grow may be a more important indicator for future achievement than current success. This is another fact that can help with overcoming fear of failure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n