Tag: Fear of Failure

Why I Am Doing The 30 Days Of Hustle With Jon Acuff

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Personal GrowthLeave a comment

Over the last ten years I’ve written books and many short stories. I have gotten through beta readers and edits and have been told by writing professionals that they are ready to send to an agent. I sent a book to one, was rejected, then did nothing.

Why? Because I was scared to take the next steps.

We all get scared at the final push because this means the game we’ve been playing is for real. Now someone can look at all of our labor and tell us what you worked on is trash, it’s not good, we’ve wasted YEARS of our lives.

Today I am working towards unpacking that fear and working through it. Truly, there is only one thing we can do to destroy fear and that is to move.

Runners

Recently I signed up for an online course called 30 Days of Hustle with Jon Acuff. I paid $30 to join a Facebook group, get daily videos of encouragement, and a worksheet. Some may think that is a waste of money and time when you can do those things yourself.

The truth is I tried to do things on my own. It doesn’t work. I truly believe the key to doing anything extraordinary is to know why you are doing it and to be with people who are either doing what you want to do or going where you want to go.

Money is a decent motivator for me. Not that it’s all there is, but if I spend money on something, like an entry in a race, and then don’t invest in it, it kills me.

I wrote on Monday about being lazy and today I’m focusing on the mountain of fear we all have in our lives. As soon as we see it, we lose all motivation.

Knowing what we struggle with inwardly is a huge step toward overcoming the areas in our lives that we need to grow in.

Fear and laziness are some of mine.

What do you need to defeat this year? Are some of the same cycles in your life preventing you from your dreams? Plan a new attack to overcome them in 2016.

Are You In The Game Or Safe On The Sidelines?

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Chasing Life1 Comment

I played soccer my freshmen year in high school and sat on the sidelines for most of the year.  I was short and thin and I’m fairly certain a small gust of wind might have blown me over.

I don’t remember feeling bad about it but I do remember that I always I tried to encourage the seniors, give them water, and pat them on back when they came off the field.

When I got into my first game I was terrified. I was certain every one of my opponents was faster and stronger and could jump higher than I could. I wanted back on the sidelines. It was safer there. There was no pressure and I couldn’t fail.

I believed these things because I was afraid. I didn’t want to let my team down or my parents down.

FC Barcelona Stadium

I think this application is true for our lives in any capacity of bravery. When we don’t get in the game and we stay on the sidelines we are safe and comfortable. If we get in the game, life becomes real. There are stakes now and people we can disappoint.

What if we launch that business and fail? What if we let our family down? What if this is the wrong promotion or job? What will other people think?

These are the questions that plague us. The negative side of the what if’s. But what if these are the wrong questions?

We should be asking these instead.

What would happen if we don’t launch that business? What if we don’t take that job? What if succeed, what would that mean for us? What if we never did ___.

The next time you start to become “sensible” make sure it is not a response to fear. If you are launching a website or book or business and start to give into fear, consider the flip side of the lies in your head. It may just give you the bravery needed to step on the field.

How to Eradicate the Fear of Failure Once and For All

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized2 Comments

Have you ever planned a wedding or party or event and had something go array? It was a huge deal at the time. You still think about it and shudder.

But you know who noticed it?

Probably no one.

Even if you mentioned it to an individual that attended the debacle do you know what they’d most likely say? Nothing. They would just give you a confused look like they have no idea what you are talking about.

But fear is a pervasive jerk that is bound to show up again and again. It can ruin a future opportunity and also your dreams.

Often, because we don’t succeed or get hurt, we refuse to put ourselves out there again. You wrote a story and no one liked it. What if that happened again? True you might be devastated, but do you know who’s keeping score of every time you fail?

You are.

Ever heard of Thomas Edison? He failed hundreds of times trying to make a light bulb.

Photo Credit: SkydiveAndes via Compfight cc
Photo Credit: SkydiveAndes via Compfight cc

The difference with Edison is that he viewed the task he wanted to complete as a puzzle. He tried to solve it and if it didn’t work he’d try another piece, another method, another direction.

Life is not easy or perfect, so why would we ever believe a novel or starting a business would be a breeze? You’ll launch a business that will have bad days. You’ll start a blog that will not get any traffic. You’ll start a book that will be terrible in the end.

This can lead to a sad place. Where we draw a line in the sand between us and our dreams.

We give our dreams an ultimatum.

I’ll keep blogging if I get one new follower today.

I’ll keep practicing if I get a call this week for another audition.

I’ll try the guitar one more time, but then that’s it.

The key to eradicate the fear of failure is persistence and perspective.

What happens if persevere? If we throw away our fears of failing and go and see what’s on the other side of the hill?

J.K. Rowling kept at it.

Thomas Edison did too.

How about you?