Fear of failure, condemnation, contempt of others stops us even when the most brilliant ideas come to our mind. But that fear can be overcome with simple exercises, says business development consultant Lindy Norris. The main thing is to do them regularly.
What happens when we make mistakes? We feel embarrassed, sorry and ashamed. The thought of a new failure shackles us and prevents us from taking risks. But the constant avoidance of failure prevents us from learning valuable lessons from failures.
Lindy Norris, Motivational TED Speaker, talks about how to transform a negative experience into an uplifting story. She moved to the US to study for an MBA program. But she realized that this path was not for her, and decided to return home.
But instead of feeling sorry for herself, Lindy Norris analyzed the reasons for the failure and found in it a source of strength. She realized that she was destined to do something else. The more she examined her experience, the more she realized that she wanted to share it with others.
“Failure does not mean that we have not taken place in life and it is worth giving up trying to become better. There are just moments when we realize that the original plan does not work, that we did not estimate our strengths accurately enough, says Lindy Norris. “Well, that means we now know ourselves and our capabilities better.”
By training our ability to handle failure like a muscle, we will gradually become more confident in taking risks.
A few simple tricks to love risk
1. Do you usually go to the same cafe? Take a chance: ask yourself for a discount as a regular visitor. It seems that it is easy to come up and say. But there is an element of awkwardness for both you (you ask for something that is not written on the menu) and for the cashier (he is forced to act according to the scheme). By asking this question, you will get more than money saved. You will raise your threshold of self-confidence and overcome the inner barrier.
2. Sit next to a stranger on a half-empty bus, tram, or train. We try to leave as much space as possible between ourselves and other people. Will you find the courage to break this pattern? Maybe your gesture will be perceived friendly and you will be able to start a conversation.
3. State your purpose publicly. Have you been wanting to do something ambitious for a long time, something that will require a lot of effort and perseverance? Call friends and acquaintances to witness, post on your blog or social network timeline. By doing this, you run the risk that everyone will know about the possible failure. But even if you fail to do everything perfectly, you will understand that nothing terrible will happen and your friends will not turn their backs on you.
4. Share something personal on a social network. Facebook (an extremist organization banned in Russia) is a giant fair where everyone will find their portion of attention. But what if you don’t get a single «like»? One way or another, you will benefit from learning to speak openly about yourself without expecting praise or attention. Sharing for the sake of sharing, simply because it is important to you first of all, is a very important skill.
5. Talk to your boss about what you don’t like. Many of us find it difficult to express our dissatisfaction in the face of a person who has power over us. As a result, at the most crucial moment, we do not find words to defend our position. Try this time to express everything that worries you, without waiting for a reason. If you yourself are the boss, try to give feedback to your subordinate as openly and honestly as possible, without avoiding criticism.
See more at Forbes.