Most of us dream of bec
oming successful, even from an early age. Success is perceived as power, wealth, and being at the top of your game. Some people reach the level of success that they dreamed of while others never reach their goals and some are still striving. There was a time when success for women was getting married, taking care of the home and raising children. Today, success for women is having a partner, raising children, and having a career. More is added to their plate and the fear of not being able to accomplish everything can definitely interfere with their success.
Some of the factors that may interfere with women achieving success are:
Fear of Being Overwhelmed
When you feel there is too much on your plate, too many responsibilities and pressures, you can become paralyzed with fear and unable to move forward to get things done. Time management and realistic goals are a way to combat this fear. Realizing and accepting the fact that you might not be able to get everything done in one day and taking the steps to prioritize the tasks will allow you to accomplish them in a methodical manner and remove the guilt and fear.
Fear of Failure
If you set a goal and you fail, many people will not pick themselves back up to try again. The fear of failing a second time may prevent some from moving forward. Others look at failure as a challenge to get back up to try again, and to make sure they succeed the second time around. Failure can be a learning experience and in most cases turn into success in the future. If we don’t try, we will never succeed.
Fear of What Others Think
Besides being able to look at ourselves in the mirror, we are also overly concerned about other people’s opinions and views of our efforts. Especially in today’s world of social media, everybody knows everyone else’s business in a flash. When others know that we have failed at something, unfortunately, in most cases we think that others are gossiping, disrespecting us, and shunning us as a loser. We can’t control what others think, but we can control how we react to it. Don’t allow yourself to succumb to what other’s think. Those very people that you are worrying about how they perceive you, might be in the same predicament or may even help you achieve your success.
Tips to Success
In many cases fear can control our day to day activities and future success. To overcome these fears, we must challenge ourselves to accept the failure and move forward, learning from our mistakes. If we physically fall down, our automatic response is to get up. Mentally if we fall, or fail, our immediate response should be the same. In most cases, our mental mindset is more powerful than our physical strength. We need to train our mental outlook toward acceptance and positivity, just as we work out our bodies to be physically fit.
We all have choices and no one is responsible for your failures or for your success, but you. By allowing fear to interfere with your dreams or goals, you have fallen prey to a negative mindset. Take your fear, get the right gear, pull up your big girl panties, and move forward toward your idea of success.
3 thoughts on “Don’t Let Fear Interfere with Your Dreams of Success”
This article is spot on. I just can’t say how true this is, and how much it resonates with me. Fear of failure – I returned to the workforce after 10 years of being a stay-at-home-mom, as my husband is active duty military, and I feared failure as I explore a new career path in the world of finance. Prior to being home with my children, I worked as a paralegal. This new field terrified me as much as it excited me. I have overcome this fear of failure by focusing my attention on my abilities and trusting in myself. Doing so has assisted me in getting four necessary licenses in less than 2 months so I can do my job, and do it well. Fear of becoming overwhelmed – I learned very quickly re-entering the workforce and working 60 hours a week, and 6 days a week that I needed to delegate things at home. Once I managed to get my family to understand that I am no longer going to be home, and that I am going to be the major bread winner, once my husband retires in the next 16 months, they began to take on more chores and responsibilities at home. This was the hardest thing to overcome for me. Definitely don’t worry about what others think about you. If I had listened to my mother, I would absolutely NOT be in the wonderful career I currently enjoy. Do your own thing, absolutely learn to prioritize, delegate when you can, and learn that some things need to be pushed off until tomorrow. You are only one person… even the best can’t do everything in one day.
Hi everyone,
I have a 12 year old daughter and I’m also a single mother. After my divorce a few years ago it’s been extremely difficult to work due to me having to drop off and pick up my daughter from school and specific times so, I always needed an 8am-5pm schedule. Just recently I started a new job as Laser Tech working in the O.R at hospitals. With that said my schedule varies it is very unpredictable. I though I love my job I’m not sure if I can find a balance. My trainer told me I shouldn’t be working with the company because it’s hard for single mothers to work a non predictable schedule. I’m also the only single mother working with the company and would like some advise on how to overcome this obstacle. My manager informed me that he’ll work around my schedule which is different from it used to be in the pass. May I please have some words of advise. Thank you
First of all, we are so proud of you for being a single working mother toughing it out. As you realize, time management is crucial when juggling home and work life. Getting support from neighbors, family and friends will be key to covering your daughter’s schedule. Perhaps a friend’s parent could drive your daughter to and from school when you are not available, and when you are, you could return the favor to them and be the driver. Having to rely on others is something nobody likes to do, but you can’t do everything on your own without risking burnout. We all need the help of others. Consider having your daughter attend some type of after school program or activity to make her return home later, if needed. Regardless, we are sure your daughter appreciates and understand all that you are doing for her. When you do have time together, make sure you find some quality time amongst all the other daily chores that need to get done. Scheduling a movie night together or going out for ice cream would allow you some special time together. Somehow it all balances out. Stay calm, keep lots of lists and calendars to avoid surprise situations, and remember we can’t always be perfect. Also, keep networking. You never know when that dream job with the perfect hours will come along.