Some of us are so afraid of failing that we never get started.
I’ll just gain all the weight back, so why start eating healthy.
I’ll never be able to run a marathon, so why start running.
No one will read my book, so why start writing.
My idea will never pan out, so why try.
You get the idea.
Most Dreams Die Before They Ever Begin
Fear of failure is the culprit. Not failure, mind you, but FEAR of failure.
One of the things that I have learned in doing all of the Dream Discovery Calls I do is that pursuing, even speaking out loud a dream and sharing it with someone else can give you a new perspective on FAILURE.
The fear of failure is crippling precisely because we view failure as BAD. Avoid it all costs. This perspective leads to NOT TRYING. We will all eventually FAIL if we TRY.
But what if our perspective about FAILURE could change? What if failure wasn’t bad?
In fact, what if there was no such thing as failure?
In a recent Dream Discovery Call my new FAVORITE SUCCESSFUL DREAMER (favorite because he was the dreamer I was talking to at that moment, and successful because he was taking the time to risk sharing his dream with me) came to the stark realization that he was a perfectionist.
He realized that in order to pursue his dream (which was pretty cool) he would need to shed this tendency.
In order to chase a dream or be an entrepreneur, you’re going to need to have, at the very least, an open mindset toward failure.
Better yet, in getting after that dream, you will actually chip away at that perfectionist bias.
Now there is a revelation!
If you want to rid yourself of perfectionism, one of the best ways to do it is to chase your dream.
Because, in pursuing your dream, you are going to have to put stuff out there before it’s ready. You’re going to have to iterate. You’re going to have to tweak things as you move forward. Your plan isn’t always going to go the way you want it to.
The Dream Accelerator looks very different than it did the first time we offered it. It used to be a full two-day workshop. The original first day is now basically contained in two, 30 minute free calls that help people get clear on what their dream is. We made the adjustment because people will not pursue their dream until they are so clear on it that the thought of not pursuing it is more painful than the thought of going for it. We HAD to learn that by engaging some people in the process. We also learned that I can help people get excited about their dream quicker and with more resolve when I can work with them one-on-one. So, we learned, and we made the adjustment.
No Such Thing As Failure
You’ve got to learn real real quick that there is no such thing as failure. There’s only more evidence, more knowledge to put in the data pool to discover and understand what you need to do to #moveforwardanyway.
Say it after me: I can’t fail.
You can’t fail.
Is the fear of failure keeping you from dreaming? Are you afraid to go for it because you want to make sure that it turns out PERFECT?
Stop it.
It won’t. Do you find yourself frozen with uncertainty?
“Well, it’s understandable. There are no guarantees. We are not promised how any choice we make will turn out in the end.” pg. 227, Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute
“We want insurance. We want to know how everything will; turn out. Keep in mind, that’s what we want. Here’s the truth: there is no way for any one of us to know with absolute certainty how a decision will turn out.” pg. 228
“Since there are no guarantees, and since you are free to decide, DECIDE. You have nothing to lose. Look sat decision-making as a grand experiment. Lean toward taking action. Don’t fear failure.” pg. 229
I would suggest to you that the only way you can fail is by not trying. That will ensure that the dream will never happen!
You Can’t Fail
What would change for you today, if you believed that? What would you pursue? What next step would you try?
Trip, stumble, crash, burn…whatever….all you got is more information in the dream pursuit data pool. Just keep plugging along, take that information and make the adjustments. Make the iteration and take the next step to another level.
By the way, if you are ready to put the claim of this blog post to the test, our next Dream Accelerator is coming up soon (February 21st) and seats are limited. We limit enrollment so that we can give you the attention YOUR DREAM DESERVES. Get the process started TODAY!
