6 Simple Steps To Overcome The Fear Of Failure

This powerful mind-hack will help you face fears with bravery you never thought possible. Here's how to master the art of 'fear-setting.'

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | July 19, 2024

A fear of failure can be incredibly demoralizing. It may have stopped you from kickstarting your dream project, going back to school, speaking at public engagements, changing careers, learning a new skill and so much more.

The fear of failure is often an in-built protective mechanism, aiming to keep us safe from what we believe will be the negative consequences of taking action on our goals. However, this fear often causes more harm than good, as it can keep us from ever taking a chance on ourselves in the first place.

A new study published in June in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that a "fear-setting" exercise could reduce the anticipated shame and embarrassment associated with a fear of failure.

"When reasonable beliefs become biases such as 'I can't do it' or 'I will fail', these biases can become debilitating," the researchers write.

Researchers found that "fear-setting" could enhance positive feelings and increase a person's perceived likelihood of success, encouraging them to expect a more positive outcome. This in turn motivates them to start acting on personally meaningful goals. These effects could be felt up to one week after engaging in the exercise.

"Our study provides evidence that deliberately thinking about personally meaningful goals and discovering ways to attain these goals increases positive affect, especially feeling excited, inspired and lively," the researchers add.

Here's how fear-setting can help you address your fears and start pursuing your goals, according to the study.

The Fear-Setting Exercise

Fear-setting is a six step process. Take out a pen and a notebook and begin answering the following prompts, as suggested by the researchers:

1. Set a goal. Choose a goal and define it clearly and specifically. For instance, imagine that you want to start a small online business selling handmade crafts, within the next month.
2. Explore your fears. Write down ten or more negative outcomes you fear that are associated with your goal. Then, rate each fear on a scale of 1-10, based on the likelihood of it coming true, with "1" being very unlikely to "10" being very likely. This allows you to appropriately address them and perhaps realize that some are quite unlikely. For instance, you may fear that the business will completely fail and rate this at a 6, or that you'll be judged by others, and rate that at a 5.
3. Think of preventative measures. Write down all the things you can do to reduce the likelihood that these fears will come true. This allows you to directly address and prepare for any problems that may arise. For instance, you can create a solid business plan, seek advice from financial experts and use social media to reach a wider audience.
4. Engage in problem-solving. Write down all the things you can do or whom you can ask for help to "repair the damage" if your feared outcomes do come true. For instance, you can learn from mistakes, hire help, re-evaluate your marketing strategy or reassess the business model.
5. Shift your perspective. Consider what would happen if you took action today. Write about the following—how would you benefit and what would you gain? What might partial success look like? This helps you focus on the benefits of trying, as opposed to the fear of failing. For instance, you may experience higher self-esteem and personal fulfillment, gain useful experience for future endeavors and benefit financially by creating a sustainable and scalable business model.
6. Reflect on the cost of inaction. Finally, reflect on the cost of staying the same. What would you lose, emotionally, physically and financially, if you continue to resist change? How has procrastinating and not taking action affected you so far? For instance, you may realize that you will continue to work in an unfulfilling job, miss out on the opportunity to be your own boss or regret not pursuing your passion.

"The intervention involves risk management and planning through pre-empting what to do in the face of challenges and therefore changing the debilitating cognitions ("I'm afraid x might happen, but if I do y, it becomes less likely", or "If this happens, I will do x or ask y for support"," the researchers explain, highlighting the importance of focusing on what you can control and learning to trust that you can survive the outcome, no matter what.

A 2022 study found that having a "growth mindset" and believing that one's abilities can be nurtured and improved over time is associated with a reduced fear of failure. This mindset allows you to see your potential rather than getting overwhelmed by perceived obstacles.

It is essential to remember that we are not necessarily "stuck" in our lives, and we can always learn something new and continually develop and enhance our skills through effort, perseverance, learning from experience and relying on mentorship and support. So, the next time you're feeling stuck, take some time to reflect and start fear-setting. What you discover may surprise you.

Does impostor syndrome fuel your fear of failure? Take this science-backed test to learn more: Impostor Syndrome Scale

A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes.com, here.