Overcoming Fear of Failure

Facing Your Fear of Moving Forward

Overcoming Fear of Failure - Facing Fears and Moving Forward

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Overcome your fear of failure to keep moving forward to your goals.

Have you ever been so afraid of failing at something that you decided not to try it at all? Or has a
fear of failure meant that, subconsciously, you undermined your own efforts to avoid the
possibility of a larger failure?

Many of us have probably experienced this at one time or another. The fear of failing can be
immobilizing – it can cause us to do nothing, and therefore resist moving forward. But when we
allow fear to stop our forward progress in life, we're likely to miss some great opportunities
along the way.

In this article, we'll examine fear of failure: what it means, what causes it, and how to overcome
it to enjoy true success in work, and in life.

Causes of Fear of Failure

To find the causes of fear of failure, we first need to understand what "failure" actually means.

We all have different definitions of failure, simply because we all have different benchmarks,
values, and belief systems. A failure to one person might simply be a great learning experience
for someone else.
Many of us are afraid of failing, at least some of the time. But fear of failure (also called
"atychiphobia") is when we allow that fear to stop us doing the things that can move us forward
to achieve our goals.

Fear of failure can be linked to many causes. For instance, having critical or unsupportive
parents is a cause for some people. Because they were routinely undermined or humiliated in
childhood, they carry those negative feelings into adulthood.

Experiencing a traumatic event at some point in your life can also be a cause. For example, say
that several years ago you gave an important presentation in front of a large group, and you did
very poorly. The experience might have been so terrible that you became afraid of failing in
other things. And you carry that fear even now, years later.

How You Experience Fear of Failure

You might experience some or all of these symptoms if you have a fear of failure:

A reluctance to try new things or get involved in challenging projects.

Self-sabotage – for example, procrastination, excessive anxiety , or a failure to follow through

with goals.

Low self-esteem or self-confidence – commonly using negative statements such as "I'll never be
good enough to get that promotion," or "I'm not smart enough to get on that team."

Perfectionism – A willingness to try only those things that you know you'll finish perfectly and
successfully.

The Definition of Failure

It's almost impossible to go through life without experiencing some kind of failure. People who
do so probably live so cautiously that they go nowhere. Put simply, they're not really living at all.

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But, the wonderful thing about failure is that it's entirely up to us to decide how to look at it.

We can choose to see failure as "the end of the world," or as proof of just how inadequate we are.
Or, we can look at failure as the incredible learning experience that it often is. Every time we fail
at something, we can choose to look for the lesson we're meant to learn. These lessons are very
important; they're how we grow, and how we keep from making that same mistake again.
Failures stop us only if we let them.

It's easy to find successful people who have experienced failure. For example:

Michael Jordan is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. And
yet, he was cut from his high school basketball team because his coach didn't think he had
enough skill.

Warren Buffet, one of the world's richest and most successful businessmen, was rejected by
Harvard University.

Richard Branson, owner of the Virgin empire, is a high-school dropout.

Most of us will stumble and fall in life. Doors will get slammed in our faces, and we might make
some bad decisions. But imagine if Michael Jordan had given up on his dream to play basketball
when he was cut from that team. Imagine if Richard Branson had listened to the people who told
him he'd never do anything worthwhile without a high-school diploma.

Think of the opportunities you'll miss if you let your failures stop you.

Failure can also teach us things about ourselves that we would never have learned otherwise. For
instance, failure can help you discover how strong a person you are. Failing at something can
help you discover your truest friends, or help you find unexpected motivation to succeed.
Often, valuable insights come only after a failure. Accepting and learning from those insights is
key to succeeding in life.

How Not to Be Afraid of Failure

It's important to realize that in everything we do, there's always a chance that we'll fail. Facing
that chance, and embracing it, is not only courageous – it also gives us a fuller, more rewarding
life.

However, here are a few ways to reduce the fear of failing:

Analyze all potential outcomes – Many people experience fear of failure because they fear the
unknown. Remove that fear by considering all of the potential outcomes of your decision. Our
article Decision Trees will teach you how to map possible outcomes visually.

Learn to think more positively – Positive thinking is an incredibly powerful way to build self-
confidence and neutralize self-sabotage. Our article Thought Awareness, Rational Thinking, and
Positive Thinking is a comprehensive resource for learning how to change your thoughts.

Look at the worse-case scenario – In some cases, the worst case scenario may be genuinely
disastrous, and it may be perfectly rational to fear failure. In other cases, however, this worst
case may actually not be that bad, and recognizing this can help.

Have a contingency plan – If you're afraid of failing at something, having a "Plan B" in place
can help you feel more confident about moving forward.

How to Stop Living in Fear

If you are afraid of failure, you might be uncomfortable setting goals . But goals help us define
where we want to go in life. Without goals, we have no sure destination.

Many experts recommend visualization as a powerful tool for goal setting. Imagining how life
will be after you've reached your goal is a great motivator to keep you moving forward.
However, visualization might produce the opposite results in people who have a fear of failure.
Research shows that people who have a fear of failure were often left in a strong negative mood
after being asked to visualize goals and goal attainment.

So, what can you do instead?

Start by setting a few small goals . These should be goals that are slightly, but not
overwhelmingly, challenging. Think of these goals as "early wins" that are designed to help
boost your confidence.

For example, if you've been too afraid to talk to the new department head (who has the power to
give you the promotion you want), then make that your first goal. Plan to stop by her office
during the next week to introduce yourself.

Or, imagine that you've dreamed of returning to school to get your MBA, but you're convinced
that you're not smart enough to be accepted into business school. Set a goal to talk with a school
counselor or admissions officer to see what's required for admission.

Try to make your goals tiny steps on the route to much bigger goals. Don't focus on the end
picture: getting the promotion, or graduating with an MBA. Just focus on the next step:
introducing yourself to the department head, and talking to an admissions officer. That's it.

Taking one small step at a time will help build your confidence, keep you moving forward, and
prevent you from getting overwhelmed with visions of your final goal.

―Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be
discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

If there are two things that I am well acquainted with, it's weakness and fear. I know what it's
like to feel weak. And I also know what it's like to look fear in the eyes, and with everything in
me, want to run in the opposite direction.
But glory to God, fear and weakness aren‘t our inheritance. We read over and over again in the
Bible that when it comes to fear, there shouldn't be anything that we fear more than God. And
this fear isn‘t a dreadful anxiousness. It‘s a reverent, awe-like fear that is motivated from
wanting to please him. Because we know He is our strong tower. He is our protection. He fights
for us. He created all things, so having him on our side is a sure win in every situation we face.

God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous in the face of an enemy that would have
made Joshua tremble with weakness and fear if it had not been for God‘s powerful reminder of
His presence and power. Let‘s read on to see how God meets our weakness and fear with His
strength and might.

Be Strong: God‘s Reminder to Us When Our Circumstances Overwhelm Us

Be Strong: God‘s Reminder to Us When Our Circumstances Overwhelm Us

In Joshua 1, before the Israelites cross over the river Jordan into the Promised Land, the Lord
tells Joshua to be strong. Actually, God tells him to be strong a number of times in the first
chapter alone.

There was a period of my life where the Lord had me meditating on this section of Scripture and
he wouldn't let me move past it. No matter how many times I tried to move on to chapter 2, I
kept being pulled back to read and re-read Joshua chapter 1. This was during a time where I felt
weak. I felt like I had no control over the things that were happening in my life. I felt like a
victim to my circumstances.

My husband, Christopher, and I had decided that I would be a stay at home mom after the birth
of our first daughter. We chose that route after feeling led by the Lord. Christopher was the sole
provider and times were hard for us. As it looked like our material and financial lives were
crumbling apart, God told me to be strong. ―But, I feel weak, Lord,‖ was my response. ―Be
strong‖ was His response back. And I didn't understand why He was telling me to be something
that I didn't believe I was capable of being.
Image Credit: ©Unsplash

God Calls Us to Live into His Strength, Not Ours

God Calls Us to Live into His Strength, Not Ours

I've come to learn that God is always calling us to do things we don't believe we can accomplish.
That‘s because without Him, we can‘t. He calls us to do things like have impossible strength and
courage because, at the end of the day, we have to realize that those were never things we were
going to be able to accomplish on our own. He calls us to step out into faith obediently, and trust
that He is going to be there to put a firm path under our feet. We start, but He is the one who
accomplishes the mighty, powerful work in our life.

"He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me
a firm place to stand." - Psalm 40:2

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God Makes a Way through What Seems Impossible at First

God Makes a Way through What Seems Impossible at First

I thought my world was falling apart back when I was a new stay at home mom. Actually,
though, my life was coming together. God was giving me wisdom, experience, and the
opportunity to keep moving forward in my life through faith, even though I didn't understand
how I was going to overcome. Well, I'm here and alive to tell you that God was right! During
that season, he impressed on my heart that even though I felt weak, I was not. I had him on my
side and my weakness only served to display his strength.

Since we are human, we all have areas where we are weak and where we are strong. In the areas
where we are strong, we are because He is. And, in the ways that we are weak, God‘s ―power is
made perfect.‖ (2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV)
Image Credit: ©Unsplash

What Areas of Your Life Do You Need to Rely on God‘s Strength?

What Areas of Your Life Do You Need to Rely on God‘s Strength?

If you can recall in the book of Numbers, Joshua and Caleb saw who lived in the land that the
Lord wanted to give the Israelites, and although the people there were bigger and stronger,
Joshua and Caleb knew that they could take the land because God was with them (Numbers
13:30). Maybe you need to be reminded that your strength lies in God, not in yourself. Perhaps,
you are looking at your situation through your perspective. God wants you to come up higher to
where he is, so that you can view the things that make you feel small and weak the way he does.
Be strong.

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Facing Your Deepest Fears

Facing Your Deepest Fears

Fear and I have definitely gone round for round over the last two years of my life. I can say that I
am a victor over fear, but it took me being afraid and having to be placed in situations to face and
reject it.

I met fear the day my daughter was born. We had to have an emergency c-section, which was
never part of the plan for me and Christopher. We had planned for a natural birth at a birth
center, not a surgical one in a hospital. I hated hospitals because it reminded me of sickness and
death. Even though I intellectually knew that people get healed and live there, the reputation
hospitals had in my mind wasn't a good one.
I will say that I wasn't ready to die on that operating table. But I felt like it. I mean, to be honest,
up until that point, my pregnancy was healthy and extremely low-risk. I didn't even understand
how we got there. So, if being in the hospital could happen to someone like me, surely death
could happen too, right? And it wasn‘t just my life that I feared for. It was my daughter‘s life,
too. Her heart rate dropped with every contraction I had. The contractions that were supposed to
bring her alive into the world were instead hurting her. I was afraid.

Image Credit: ©Unsplash

Finding God‘s Strength in Your Weakest Moments

Finding God‘s Strength in Your Weakest Moments

In that operating room, I trembled with fear. I smelt it in the air. It was overwhelming. But in my
heart, I knew that Jesus was my savior for a reason. He had defeated and conquered fear. So, I
thought on his name. Almost instantly, the fear in that room melted away.

Jesus gained the victory over fear and death. He gave fear and death black eyes and knocked
them out for good. I had Jesus. I still do. I love the scripture in 2 Timothy 1:7 that says this,
―God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.‖

Fear is a spirit, but one that God has not given us. Therefore, we can be courageous and live
above fear. This doesn't mean that we won't ever feel afraid. We will. This means that when we
start to feel fear rise up, we can combat it with the truth of what God has given us. Courage.

Maybe the source of your weakness and fear isn't the same as mine. That's okay, it doesn't make
your weakness and fear any less valid to God. God‘s Word is the same for my situation, as it is
for yours, as it is for the next person. It is real and active and alive. Decide not to live in a place
of weakness and fear. Take captive of the victim mentality and choose to know yourself as God
knows you. Strong and courageous!
How to Tackle Challenges: From Comfort Zone to Courage Zone

You can‘t know your limits until you make every effort to transcend them.

Posted Jul 10, 2019

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The Greatest Barrier to Reaching Your Potential

There are many reasons that many (perhaps most) people never reach their full potential. And in
shying away from the challenges that would enable them to do so, they end up feeling frustrated
and dissatisfied—not only with themselves but with their lives in general. But without being
proactive in breaking through the barriers that are keeping them stuck, the pursuits that could
lead to their greater happiness and fulfillment remain unexamined.

The most common way we safeguard our individual and relational safety—or lessen our
worrisome sense of vulnerability—is not to venture outside our comfort zone. And leading a life
of caution does minimize what otherwise might (temporarily, at least) upset our emotional
equilibrium. For whenever the possibility of failure or rejection raises its unnerving head, a
primal survival program that instinctively dwells inside us will raise its voice, vehemently
warning us to back off from what it fears could mortally defeat us. Which explains why a self-
protective vigilance, or refusal to move beyond such a reassuring mode of ―vulnerability
management,‖ has for ages disempowered most of humanity.
Doubtless, the inevitable risks in expanding your life's prospects can be unsettling. To be sure,
the willingness to be bold and ―go for it‖ is not without its hazards. Yet only by summoning your
courage to withstand the anxiety so often linked to uncertainty can you make the most of the
various opportunities that come your way. And when the scary, and all-too-physical, sensations
of anxiety are throbbing inside you, it takes considerable fortitude to stand up to the immediately
experienced threat those symptoms transmit to you.

If you can‘t resist this internal pressure—physical, mental, and emotional—clamoring for your
attention, there‘s no way you can get yourself to move forward and, with sufficient effort, meet
the challenges facing you. Afflicted by strident messages of imminent danger, whatever energy
and resolve you might have in pursuing a project or desired relationship will be depleted. After
all, the bullying voice inside you is continually shouting: ―Don‘t!‖

And yet when you‘re confronted with a challenge, unless you can bravely face up to it, you‘ll
never know the true extent of your capabilities. And the last part of this post will outline the
personality characteristics that, once developed, can almost guarantee that you‘ll succeed in
reaching your full potential—effectively becoming everything you were meant to be.

The Various Reasons You May Not ―Meet and Greet‖ Challenges

In this section I‘d like to emphasize the core reasons that, up till now, you may not have pushed
yourself hard enough to get your life to operate the way you‘ve always wanted it to—how,
unwittingly, you‘ve prevented yourself from grasping what all along has been within your reach.

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As already noted, the major impediment to making the most of your life is anxiety. And the
likelihood is that this anxiety, regardless of how deeply you may feel it, is exaggerated. That is,
in the past you may have tried to say or do something, and the results weren‘t simply
disappointing but profoundly disturbing, maybe even traumatic. In the present, internal alarm
bells will go off if, unconsciously, that younger you (perhaps going all the way back to
childhood) falsely associates a current challenge as indistinguishable from the earlier situation so
harmful to you.
In an earlier piece of mine for Psychology Today entitled ―‗Never Again!‘ The Psychological
Fallout of Trauma‖ (2017), I emphasized that whenever you perceive something as traumatic, a
―never again‖ survival program kicks in. And that prompts you to see a situation only
peripherally resembling your past crisis as threatening to replicate what so troubled you earlier.
Such a false identification compels you to do everything in your power to flee from whatever
challenge you might be considering. So when, rationally, it may be advantageous to embark on
an undertaking but, emotionally, you experience an irresistible yank from within to forfeit such
an opportunity, it‘s your unrectified past that‘s (over-) controlling your present. And that
sabotages your opportunity for healthy growth and fulfillment.

So what are some other psychological impediments that might be preventing you from realizing
your full potential? Unquestionably, anxiety is most dominant here and links to virtually all the
other deterrents. So reflect upon the following (and note, too, that almost all of the impediments
described below I enumerated—though in quite a different context—in an earlier post called
―Laziness: Fact or Fiction?‖, 2008).

You‘re tormented by a perfectionism that leads to endless procrastination. In such instances, you
fear that what would be helpful or enjoyable to pursue might not yield the ideal outcome you
demand of it. It might not be good enough—that is, perfect. So, plagued by nagging reservations
and self-doubts, you put it off until the opportunity no longer exists. Sadly, perfectionism can
lead to paralysis of the will, fatally compromising your motivation to strive toward the goals that
are most meaningful to you.

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You lack a sense of self-efficacy—the conviction that you can successfully accomplish almost
anything you set your mind to. Without this self-confidence (viewed here as synonymous with
self-efficacy), you may not face up to a challenge because you don‘t have enough faith that you
can succeed at it. Absent this ―can do‖ attitude, you won‘t take on anything you‘re not already
positive you can handle effectively. You‘ll refuse to leave your comfort zone for fear the venture
you‘re contemplating may be beyond your capabilities—and so exacerbate chronic self-doubts.
You‘re governed by fears of failure. Overlapping with insufficient self-efficacy, which reduces
your impetus to strive for what matters most to you, the overriding fear of failure relates more to
your lacking the emotional resources to cope with the possibly negative outcome of your labors.
And this fear inhibits your motivation to give the object of your aspirations your best shot.
Learning how to ―fail successfully‖ means you can reframe failure as an important step toward
later success (i.e., you‘ve ruled out something you earlier thought could work), and many people
lack this ultimately ―winning‖ perspective. If your self-acceptance is conditional, you may not be
able to tackle something the results of which can‘t be guaranteed in advance.

You fear the rejection of others. If what‘s paramount to you is securing others‘ approval, you
might not undertake anything you worry could compromise their validation, belief, or acceptance
of you, which regrettably you can't provide for yourself.

You lack sufficient emotional support and haven‘t yet developed the self-trusting independence
to ―go it alone.‖ If need be, you should be able to fill up your own cheering section. But if you
fear being overwhelmed by a challenge unless you‘ve got others energetically waving you on,
you‘ll either abort a venture already started or avoid undertaking it altogether.

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You suffer from depression, pessimism, malaise, cynicism, or a general sense of hopelessness
and futility. This grab bag of terms suggests you may not be up for a challenge because of
everything that‘s getting you down—namely, your negative mood, state of mind, or overall
attitude. If you feel apathetic, discouraged, or maybe even bitter, then obviously your drive to
take on something challenging won‘t be strong enough to actually pursue it—let alone succeed at
it.

You lack self-discipline. You might actually have confidence in your ability to achieve your
heart‘s desire but be without the conscientiousness or industriousness to enable your ideas to
come to fruition. Your motivation will eventually peter out if you can‘t keep it harnessed to the
task at hand. If you have a life orientation of play (vs. work), it‘s likely that projects you care
about will get delayed or be left uncompleted.
 What You Need to Cultivate to Become Your Best, Most ―Realized‖ Self

A spike in anxiety can signal you to stop what you‘re doing—or even thinking of doing. But it‘s
essential to resist this de-motivating message, despite the immediate rewards it offers. For if you
heed its avoidant call, the distress caused by your anxiety will quickly dissipate, as will your
heightened sense of vulnerability. Nonetheless, following the principle of ―playing it safe‖
carries a high price because it will bar you from taking on the challenges that can help to evolve
you into the best, most admirable version of yourself.

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Much of what I‘ll characterize here will augment the points made earlier about breaking through
the barriers keeping you stuck in your (counter-productive) comfort zone. But its emphasis will
be on building the mindset and skills that can lead to a substantially altered way of appreciating,
and responding to, the challenges that face you.

One author zeros in on this developmental task by seeing physical challenges as analogous to
mental ones:

Our body . . . is built to adapt and respond to the demands placed upon it. The stronger the
demand, the stronger the response. Physical muscles continue to grow and strengthen through the
Principle of Progressive Resistance. . . . The principle is based on the theory that our muscles
must be challenged to get stronger and grow, and that they will progressively work to overcome
a resistance force when required to do so.

Any performance challenge that stretches us, forces us to overcome adversity, tests our limits,
character, and commitment . . . inspires us to say bye-bye to our comfort zone. Our finest self
won‘t materialize without challenge, without our being pushed to our limits. And, much more
important than the . . . challenge itself, are the traits and skills we develop when rising to it.
(Maja Petrovic, ―Psychology of Challenges,‖ 05/24/2018)
The last sentence here could be seen as a concise explanation of the popular saying, ―Nothing
succeeds like success.‖ For to get beyond the self-imposed constraints outlined in the previous
sections, you must be willing to conquer your anxiety about entering uncharted territory. You‘re
not, for example, born with self-confidence: you develop this inner sense of capability through
repeatedly venturing outside your comfort zone and thereby expanding your notion of what‘s
possible for you. This way you‘re empirically demonstrating your ability to achieve things you
never attempted before. After all, if you refuse to spread your wings, how can you possibly find
out whether you can fly?

Certainly there are times when it‘s prudent to avoid a challenge. The problem is when you‘re
unable to tell whether you‘re merely making excuses for not acting because you‘re frightened of
what others might think of you, or how you yourself will feel, if your efforts are unsuccessful. If
it‘s your fear that‘s talking to you, you need to learn how to talk back to it by assessing your
situation from a more objective, balanced perspective.

Remember, feeling some initial anxiety before starting a project is normal. But unless you allow
it to overwhelm you, you can still proceed by telling yourself that this venture is simply what‘s
―next up‖ for you, that it‘s a learning opportunity you don‘t want to miss. And ultimately, failure
is little more than what you perceive it as being—or meaning.

Here are some of the qualities that, once securely in place, will help you grow your capabilities.
And over time your actions will not only strengthen these attributes but also begin to transform
your self-image, so you‘ll finally become your own best friend:

Courage. Be bold. You may not have exited the womb with this personality trait, but that doesn‘t
mean you can‘t cultivate it. It‘s all a matter of persuading yourself to take reasonable risks and
not back down from challenges that initially might seem intimidating.

Curiosity. Replace your fear of the unknown with a sense of wonder about how you might best
go about dealing with what‘s unfamiliar or untested. Regard whatever you tackle as an adventure
rather than a threat.
Get clear on your priorities. Your efforts won‘t get you to the finish line if finally their associated
goal doesn‘t matter that much to you. At some point, your determination will flounder and give
out. So first determine what you really care about, and then pursue it with the vigor that naturally
accompanies what feeds your sense of aliveness.

Be guided by your passion. Closely related to the above, let what you love, or are intrigued by,
govern your behavior. That‘s what will most vitalize your pursuits.

Take initiative. Rising to meet challenges can‘t happen so long as you maintain a passive
orientation to life. So consider every challenge you face as offering you the possibility of moving
forward in realizing your hopes and ambitions—to, as it were, grab life by the horns.

Be persistent. It‘s crucial that you not give up on something unless it becomes obvious that, for
you at least, it‘s simply not viable. Other than that, when you start to stumble, it‘s critical that
you pick yourself back up. If you persevere, you‘ll generally find that you can discover a way of
opening the door that‘s (temporarily) been stuck shut.

Be flexible—and resilient. It may be that what you originally thought would be effective can‘t
work. Can you pivot to another, possibly more productive, approach? It‘s critical to not get
discouraged when what you tried first emerged as untenable.

Be patient. Allow your plans and strategies time to develop. For they may need to ―mature‖
before the means to your coveted end can be more clearly identified. To adapt a well-known
proverb: ―Rome wasn‘t built in a day.‖

Foster self-discipline. Once you commit yourself to an undertaking, resolve to see it though, and
regardless of setbacks and complications you couldn‘t have anticipated. Don‘t let yourself get
distracted by things that might interest you but are plainly irrelevant to your pursuit. Save your
energy for what matters most.

Consult with others, but be prepared to act independently. Attend carefully to what others might
have to say about your project and, when appropriate, invite them to coach you. But don‘t let
them discourage you either, unless they‘ve convinced you that you‘ve bitten off way more than
you can possibly chew. Additionally, consider that they might be dissuading you because you‘re
attempting something they themselves can‘t achieve, so that your succeeding might make them
feel bad about themselves.

Trust your intuition. Sometimes you can‘t explain exactly why you‘re doing something: it‘s just
that it feels right. So don‘t be overly concerned that you may not be able to precisely detail
everything required to complete your project. As long as you can think creatively and
confidently, odds are that you‘ll end up successful in your endeavor.

Accept failures as necessary steps toward eventual success. You may need to rule out any
number of things that won‘t work in order to discover what will. So don‘t be disheartened by
intermittent missteps or failings. Again, adopting the right, ―can do‖ attitude may be the key
requisite for final success.

Grow your self-confidence. This is tricky, because it‘s the doing itself that fosters self-
confidence (the ultimate antidote to anxiety and self-doubt). Still, it‘s useful to remind yourself
of earlier achievements—and even past failures, which you managed to survive—when, because
of encountering obstacles you hadn‘t prepared for, your motivation begins to falter.

To conclude, nothing in life is more empowering than accepting challenges that over time offer
you the opportunity to prove you have the capability and resources to master them. Further, be
aware that you can‘t ever reach your full potential as long as you‘re hiding out in your (fear-
mitigating) comfort zone.

So dare to leave that self-defeatist terrain and, however gingerly, enter your newly formulated,
anxiety-defeating, courage zone.