Many of us know what it\u2019s like to feel stuck in our careers. We settle into a particular role and one day we look up and wonder why we\u2019ve spent so long doing something we\u2019re not fully invested in.
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\nThere are many reasons why this happens, but a big one is fear of failure. We know we can do this one thing, and we don\u2019t want to risk bellyflopping if we try something else.<\/p>\n
Molly Fletcher can help us get over that. She spent decades as a sports agent representing professional athletes. ESPN called her the \u201cfemale Jerry Maguire.\u201d Fletcher saw up close how some of world\u2019s best athletes deal with fear. She was surprised to learn that they don\u2019t \u201ctry to suffocate it.\u201d Rather, they \u201crecognize it, they embrace it\u201d and they run through a mental loop about it. Fletcher saw athletes bump up against their limitations and saw the discomfort that caused. The ones that succeeded did so because they believed<\/a> that going through the discomfort could lead to better results. \u201cYou can\u2019t go to bed and say, \u2018Tomorrow I am going to be fearless\u2019\u201d and expect success, Fletcher said. Success in these things isn\u2019t measured by fear ceasing to exist. I have a horrible fear of public speaking. All of the preparation and all of the speaking that I do makes that fear more manageable, but it doesn\u2019t go away. And it never will.
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\nFletcher then took what she learned in sports and brought those lessons into the broader business world as a popular speaker and author. Her latest book\u2014which I spoke with her<\/a> about recently\u2014is titled Fearless at Work<\/em><\/a>.
\nI took away three big strategies for dealing with fear.<\/p>\n1. Tell Yourself the Right Story<\/h3>\n
\nAthletes say things to themselves<\/a> that help. \u201cInstead of telling themselves things like \u2018Man, I\u2019m scared. I hope I don\u2019t do X,\u2019 they tell themselves \u2018I\u2019m going to play the best game I\u2019ve ever played in my life. I\u2019m going to do everything I can to support this team and we\u2019re walking away with a championship,\u2019\u201d she said.
\nShe emphasized that\u2019s true off the playing field as well: \u201cAs businesspeople, we may be walking into a big meeting or a big sales call or a big pitch.\u201d
\nWhat we say to ourselves before that equivalent of the \u201cbig game\u201d matters. We ought to be telling ourselves that we will do our best and that will lead to success, one way or another.<\/p>\n2. Have a Growth Mindset<\/h3>\n
\nThey asked themselves, \u201cWhat can I do inside of this moment to allow myself to grow?\u201d And that is a very good question for all of us.<\/p>\n3. Take It in Small Steps<\/h3>\n
\nRather, fear is best pushed back in small ways over long periods.
\nYou have to determine to be less fear-controlled and to take practical small steps, every day, to eventually put the best version of yourself<\/a> back in the driver\u2019s seat, she said.<\/p>\nNo Fear?<\/h3>\n
\nIt won\u2019t go away because fear is just a part of being human. It has its uses. We should listen to it. But letting it control us is a different thing that should be resisted.
\nIf I can step out on that stage, you can overcome your fear of failure, too.
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