Imagine that you were given a guarantee: You could take any risk and succeed at it. Would it change the course of your life? Does any one thing come to mind that you would want to do under these circumstances? If an idea surfaced as you asked yourself these questions, perhaps it warrants some further attention.
Fear of failure needlessly squelches many interesting and creative ideas. It is often why people lose motivation when contemplating a transition—they get scared that the idea won't work even before they have fully thought it through.
I'm not certain why people tend to focus their attention on potential failures, or "the worst thing that could happen" scenarios, but I suppose it has to do with self-protection. However, a false sense of safety gained from avoiding risks can come with a high price, as many of us trade off the possibility of realizing our dreams.
Here are a few steps you might consider if you want to revive an idea that has fallen prey to a fear of failure mindset:
1. Listen to any response that comes from the question: What if you could not fail?
2. Ask yourself what is it about this idea that is so appealing?
3. What aspects of yourself would be engaged by such an idea?
4. What assumptions do you have about this idea?
5. What else do you need to know about this idea and where or from whom can you find out?
6. What is one step you could take to move a little closer to this idea in order to see it more clearly?
After you've taken these steps, ask yourself how you now feel about the idea? Are you more energized about it? Less interested? If clarifying your idea increased your interest, think about what else you could do to further its development. Take things one step at a time in order to avoid becoming overwhelmed by the whole of it, or by the unknown aspects that may cause you to make up stories about it.
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Where Barbara is presenting next:
•Women Supporting Women, a free event of the The Maine Women's Fund
February 6, The Woodlands Club, 7-9pm. Come hear about work and life balance and unleashing your investment Goddess!
•Maine Association of Personality Type
Using the MBTI in career counseling featuring Barbara Babkirk and Amy Jaffe
Free, Tuesday, February 27, 6:30-8:30pm, Falmouth Library
•Yarmouth Wellness Fair, sponsored by the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce Saturday, March 3, 10-3pm, Yarmouth High School
•Hardy Girls, Healthy Women Conference
Saturday, March 24, Fairfield, KVCC
Barbara...
How do you do you explain an idea or a concept to "close-minded employers" who have already made up their minds that a particular concept WON'T WORK?
I'm sure you've been asked this question before? But I find it frustrating whenever I bring up a new idea and it's immediately "shot down" before I have the chance to explain it!
This bears out the reason why so many graduates are leaving the state of Maine. There are too many old f**ts who are content to do "business as usual" instead of trying something different.
argytunes
Posted by Gary
Gary,
It is frustrating to be in an organization where new ideas are not welcomed, or at least considered. At some point, you'll need to evaluate whether or not it's time to move on. In investigating your next option, make sure you check out how the organization entertains suggestions from employees.
Often it is the absence of something that reminds us how important it is to us...
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