Fear of failure and how to overcome this obstacle of success

One of the main reason why people don't live up to their potential is Atychiphobia or the fear of failure. According to Brian Tracy, fear of failure is the biggest single obstacle to success and happiness in adult life. It is not the failure itself. Everyone have gone through failure in one way or another. But the fear of failure is the one that holding most people back.

Fear of failure may act like a brake pedal that stops most of us from achieving our potential. Because of this fear of failure, people stop to take action and they procrastinate what they wanted to do. And as a result, they don't achieve what they intended to achieve.

What causes the fear of failure?

There are many causes, but the main cause is how we were brought

up. When we were kids, we don't have this kind of fear, until we experience something bad, or perhaps someone told us not to do certain things because of their experience of failure. And one of them is our education system where failure is bad, and if we failed it is a bad thing. We believe that fail is bad, and we don't want to fail in any area of our life.

How do we know if we are fear of failure?

How to make important decisions in life?

Life is about a series of decisions. Think about it, everything we do everyday involve decision making. Even what makes you read this blog is also a decision that you made probably a few seconds ago.

Research shows that when it comes to regret, 3/4 people regret things that they have never done before. Which means only 1/4 people is actually regret of things that they did, either failure or perhaps some silly things that they have done in their life.

One of the ways that I normally use in my training sessions is what I called visualization technique. Our mind is so powerful as compared to other creatures. We can bring our mind to the future or the past. We can just imagine things.

Everyone Can Become A Leader

Everyone can become a leader. But that is not the question. The question is whether they want to or they don't. Leadership is a choice and I do believe that it is your responsibility to decide whether you want to be one, or you just want to follow someone, or some organization.

Tipping Point
Some people change after there was a situation that force them to change. I remembered Jim Rohn's story of how he changed after being broke and not able to buy a cookies from a girl scout. Worst, he was lying saying that he has one. That is his turning point of his life. Some people change because of frustration and some because of inspiration. Both are good change agents.

Vision and Mission
Most companies have this nice frame on the wall mentioning vision and mission. But some companies did it because all other companies have it, and it looks weird if they don't. Some did it because their consultant asked them to do so, without understanding the purpose of having it. To me, leaders must have a vision. Something that they wanted to change. From that vision, they create missions to support their intention. This will drive them internally to pursue their dreams. I believe people are not a lazy creature. They just don't have a clear vision of their life, or finding their purpose of their life.

Programming Minda

Semasa saya pulang daripada surau semalam selepas selesai mengerjakan solat Maghrib, terdapat sekumpulan anak-anak muda dihadapan pintu gate surau bermain-main. Saya terdengar dengan jelas, salah seorang daripada mereka berteriak "Akulah penyelamat bumi!" Mendengar kata-kata tersebut, saya terfikir mungkin anak-anak muda ini terpengaruh dengan rancangan televisyen, mungkin Boboiboy atau rancangan alih bahasa.

Beberapa detik selepas itu, saya mula mencermin diri saya. Semasa saya kecil, tidak kurangnya tingkahlaku saya. Saya teringat semasa di sekolah rendah di Muar, saya bermain Ultraman dan raksasa. Saya mengepalai sekumpulan rakan-rakan dan membahagi-bahagikan siapa jadi Ultraman dan siapa jadi raksasa. Memang agak lucu apabila mengenangkan semula kejadian silam, tetapi apa yang lebih penting, apa yang boleh saya pelajari daripada peristiwa tersebut? Kita manusia dipengaruhi oleh rancangan televisyen. Bukan sekadar kanak-kanak, tetapi juga yang dewasa. Cumanya yang dewasa dipengaruhi dengan cara yang lebih matang. Mungkin daripada kisah percintaan daripada siri Winter Sonata (maaf, saya tidak mengikuti trend terkini) atau Ariana Rose, tidak kurang kisah korporat yang sering ada adegan tikam-menikam.

Eksperimen Bobo Doll

Eksperimen Bobo Doll

Albert Bandura seorang ahli psikologi pada tahun 1961 telah melakukan kajian untuk memerhatikan kesan tingkahlaku manusia daripada pemerhatian. Kajian terkenal beliau adalah Bandura and Bobo Doll (Anak patung Bobo). Beliau membawa beberapa orang budak dalam linkungan umur 3 hingga 5 tahun kedalam sebuah bilik yang mana didalam bilik tersebut terdapat sebuah anak patung. Dalam masa 10 minit, terdapat orang dewasa yang melakukan perbuatan ganas terhadap anak patung tersebut termasuk menjerit, memukul, menendang dan menghentak dengan tukul. Kesannya? Kesemua anak-anak tersebut melakukan perkara yang sama terhadap anak patung tersebut.