7 Steps to Overcome Fear of Failure

Learn to transform your fear of failure into a stepping stone for growth through 7 actionable steps.

Ivens Plaisir

12 Aug 2025 — 18 min read

Being scared of failing can stop you from meeting your aims, but it need not. By making tiny, easy steps, you can change how you see failure and use it to grow. Here is a short guide on 7 steps to help you move on with sureness:

View Failure as a Chance to Learn: Errors are not the end - they teach you and help you get better.
Know What Scares You: Note down times, thoughts, and feelings that make you scared to know and deal with them.
Aim for Daily Targets: Put your work into small, doable tasks you can handle rather than huge far-off aims.
Meet Fear Slowly: Use a "fear stair" to face your scares bit by bit, starting with the less scary ones.
Think Like a Newbie: Face new stuff with a wish to learn, not a push to win.
Get Ready for Bumps: Use plans to think ahead of troubles and know how to deal with them.
Have a Helping Circle: Keep close to mentors, pals, or coaches who can help and cheer you on.

How to overcome your fear of failure (A PRACTICAL guide, no BS)

Step 1: See Mistakes as Chances to Learn

Think of problems not as stops, but as steps. Each wrong move gives clues that help you grow, get strong, and set the path for winning later.

Try Changing How You Think

A good way to change your mind is by doing redo exercises. Write down your fear or problem just as it feels. Then, fight it by writing proof that is for and against your fear. For example, if you think, "If I try for this job, I'll for sure be turned down because I'm not good enough", look again. Yes, you might not have all they want, but what you can do and what you know might make you a good pick. Think of it like this: "I may not have all they want, but I bring good skills. The worst they can say is 'no,' and that's not the end of it all." This way, you see problems as a chance to learn and get better.

Learn from Others Who Made it After Failing

As you get better at redoing your thoughts, keep in mind that lots of winning folks have used failure as a leap to do great things. Thomas Edison once said:

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

Edison's way shows that not giving up and getting smart from slip-ups can at last lead to a win. In the same way, Aleksander Solzhenitsyn saw:

"Mistakes are a great educator when one is honest enough to admit them and willing to learn from them."

These cases show us that failing is not the end - it teaches us. With this way of thinking, you are set to find the next step: finding out what really makes you scared of failing.

Step 2: Get to Know Your Fear Triggers

Once you look at failure as a way to learn, you need to dig deeper. Next, figure out what makes you scared. Fear of failing doesn’t just show up - it's often linked to special times, things you think, or even how your body feels. By knowing these triggers, you can start to take charge and react better.

Write Down Your Triggers

A good trick is to keep a trigger log. Don't stress, this doesn't mean you have to write a lot. Short, easy notes can show you your fear patterns in time. Each time you feel scared, write down:

The situation: What were you up to? You might have been getting ready to ask for more money, share a new thought, or send a big email.
Your thoughts: Write down what you think, like “I'm not good enough” or “What if I fail and everyone sees?” Noting them right away keeps it real.
How you feel and act: Jot down any body signs like a fast heart or sweaty hands, and anything you do like putting off the job or just not doing it.

Use what fits you best - your phone’s notes, a little book, or sticky notes. The point is to see your fear clearly and deal with it by writing it down as it comes.

Look for Patterns in How You Act

After a week or so, check your notes again. Look for times that often make you scared. Is it when you're talking to a crowd? Or trying something new? Knowing these moments can tell you a lot about what’s hiding underneath.

Also, see how you usually react when scared. Do you put off things, over plan, or skip out? These acts may slow you down without you knowing - because sometimes, the fear of messing up feels worse than not trying at all.

Body signs like a fast heart or sweating are also important to note. They are ways your body shows fear, and they can help you know why you react the way you do.

Lastly, think if your fear comes from feeling shame in yourself or worry about what will happen. When you figure out the main reason, you can better change how you think, set good goals, and take smart risks.

Step 3: Work on Daily Goals, Not End Goals

If the fear of not making it is holding you back, shift your focus from unsure ends to things you can do each day. End goals can bring too much stress because they depend on things you can't be sure of. On the other hand, daily goals are about actions that you control, which can guide you and cut down on worry.

Why Daily Goals Work Better

Daily goals help by making big tasks into small, easy steps. They let you feel good about little wins and see problems as chances to learn and get better.

For instance, instead of having an end goal of "get promoted", set a daily goal like "meet with my boss every two weeks." This way, you decide if this action happens.

By focusing on the daily process, setbacks aren't failures - they are helpful hints. You can change your plan and keep going without losing your drive.

How to Set SMART Daily Goals

Using the SMART plan (Simple, Clear, Possible, Linked, Timed) can help you make clear daily goals. These goals guide your work each day and lower the stress of chasing unsure results.

Be clear. Change unclear goals like "get better at talking" to something clear, like "talk out loud for 10 minutes each morning."
Make it clear. Instead of "write more", set a solid goal like "write 300 words each day."
Keep it doable. If you are new to working out, don't try two-hour sessions each day. Start small, like 15 minutes, three times a week.
Make sure it's linked. Your daily goal should link to what you want to reach. If you want to start a firm, a linked goal could be "read business books for 20 minutes each day."
Set a time. Loose plans like "one day" rarely come true. A set time, like "every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 AM for the next month", adds force.

Look at this plan in use: Instead of "I want to be a better writer" (an end goal), think "I will write 250 words every workday morning from 6:30 to 7:00 AM for the next 30 days." This goal lets you control when, how much, and how often you write. Over time, steady work will make your writing better.

Track your daily goals. Use tools like lists or calendars to check off tasks done. Seeing your progress can keep you going, even if the final result isn't right there.

Step 4: Meet Failure Bit by Bit

Beating your fear of failing won't just happen fast. The key is to face it bit by bit. Begin with easy tasks to build trust in yourself, letting your mind get used to the fact that failing isn't the end of the world. Think of it as learning to swim: you start slow in the shallow water, not by jumping into the deep end. This way, you handle fears one by one.

Make a Fear Ladder

A fear ladder is a simple yet strong tool. It’s a list of things you fear most, sorted from least to most scary. Start with easy bits and climb up, breaking big fears into small steps.

Start by spotting what scares you about not doing well in a certain area. For example, if talking in front of others makes you worried, your list could have talking to one person, talking in a small group, presenting to your team, and finally, speaking to a big group.

Put these tasks on a scale of 1 to 10 based on how much they scare you. A "1" might be just a bit uneasy, while a "10" feels very hard to face. Begin with tasks marked 3 or lower.

Here’s what a fear ladder might look like for someone scared about starting their own business:

Level 2: Spend 30 minutes thinking about a business idea
Level 3: Tell your idea to a close friend
Level 4: Write a simple business plan
Level 5: Set up a basic website or social media page
Level 6: Share your idea with five new people
Level 7: Try to make your first sale
Level 8: Open your business with a small budget
Level 9: Quit your day job to give more time
Level 10: Look for investors or bigger funds

Take it slow with each step. Going too fast might feel too much. Stick with one level until it feels normal, no matter if it takes three tries or ten.

Keep Track of Your Steps

Once your ladder is set, keep an eye on how you’re doing. Before and after each task, rate your fear on a scale of 1 to 10 and write down your thoughts. As time goes on, you'll see your fear drop as tasks that seemed hard become easy.

Keep a simple record that shows the date, the task, your first and last fear levels, and any thoughts. This log helps you see your growth and spot trends. For instance, you might find out that folks are kinder than you thought, or that failing wasn’t as bad as you feared. These bits of info are great as you move forward.

Stay regular. Face one small fear here and there rather than doing lots in one go and then stopping for a while. When you keep at it, it helps your brain cope and makes growth steady.

Cheer your wins! When you beat a hard level, take a sec to feel good about it. This kind of joy helps keep you eager for more.

And know, hard times are just part of it all. Some days might be tough, or things might not work out. That’s fine - it just shows you’re human. If you must, go back a step and keep at it until you can go on.

Start with a New Point of View

When you fear you may fail, it's easy to keep doing what you know. But starting anew can change how you face failure. Thinking like a beginner means you see new tasks with wonder, not pride. It's not about showing off - it's about finding out and getting better. This small change cuts the stress and makes failing seem less scary. Instead of thinking, "I must do this right", you begin to ask, "What will I learn today?"

See errors as steps, not ends. When a small kid falls as they learn to walk, no one calls it a fail - it's just how they learn.

Try Simple Tasks

The key is to try things where failing is okay, or even good. Choose things that give fast feedback, are not too hard, and are good for new people. Here are some ideas:

Creative stuff like painting with watercolors, making pottery, or playing the guitar are great. Your first painting might be far from what you wanted, and that’s okay. The same is true for your first time with the clay or guitar chords.
Physical stuff gives quick comments. Join a dance class for new people, play basketball at the rec center, or try climbing indoors. Missing a shot, messing up a dance step, or falling off a climbing grip is all just fun.
Skill-based stuff like coding, baking sourdough, or fixing a bike, has lots of room to mess up and try again. If your bread doesn’t rise or your code doesn’t work, it’s not a fail - it's a chance to learn.

When picking an activity, think: Can I mess up here with no big deal? Are new folks okay here? Will I know soon if something went wrong? Is it simple to try once more? Is there help around?

Start easy. Choose one or two things to slowly get into this mindset. You aren’t trying to be perfect in all - it’s about gently growing your okay-ness with not getting it right. After each time, think about what you learned.

Think and Learn from Doing

Once you're done with an activity, take time to think about it. This thinking is how you grow. It helps your brain see failing as good notes, not as something bad.

Ask yourself:

What did I try today?
What did not work as I thought?
What did I find out about my way or ideas?
What will I change next time?
How did I feel while doing it, and how did I deal with those feelings?

Write your thoughts in a notebook or a simple app. You don’t need much - just a few lines on what mattered. Over time, you'll start to see trends. Maybe you find you rush when scared or stop trying when it's hard.

The aim here isn't to be perfect - it's to get strong. Every try, even those that fail, helps you deal with losing.

Praise Trying, Not Just Winning

Did you go to pottery class though last week’s bowl was a bit wonky? That’s good. Did you play a guitar chord that didn’t sound right? That's still good. Moving ahead often seems like "two steps up, one step back", and that’s still on the right path. Some days will be tougher, and that’s fine. The main thing is to keep coming and see each try as good practice.

As you build this new way of thinking, you’ll see it change other parts of your life. Be it a hard job task or a tough time with someone you care about, you’ll start asking, "What can I learn?" instead of worrying about mistakes. This change in how you see things makes a big change in beating the fear of losing.

Step 6: Get Set for the Hard Times with Pre-Mortems and If-Then Plans

No plan is foolproof, and bad times will come no matter how sure or happy you are. The real trick is not to dodge them, but to be set for them. This step brings in two tools - pre-mortems and If-Then plans - that keep you right when things don't work out as you hoped.

Run a Pre-Mortem Test

A pre-mortem turns the usual planning on its head. Instead of dreaming about all going well, you guess that your goal has tanked - and then work out why.

Why does this work so well? When you are pumped about a goal, you look at the good stuff and miss the bad stuff that could trip you up. Gary Klein, a psychologist who made the pre-mortem method, saw that this way helps spot risks you might not see otherwise. It makes you think from real issues to plans.

How to do a pre-mortem in 20 minutes:
Kick off by picturing a setup. Write something like, "It's six months later, and my side job start was a total flop." Use a clear fail case, like, "Used up savings with no real customers coming."

Then, list 10–15 reasons why it went wrong. Once you have them, group the same risks and score them from 1–5 on how big and how likely they are. Multiply these to rank the risks, and look at the top three to five - these are your main worries.

For each top worry, make a plan to stop it and a backup idea. For instance, if you fear losing money before getting customers, set a plan to spend only $300 a month on ads and to sell a trial program first. If the spend on gaining a customer goes over $50 for two weeks, stop ads and try teaming up for your marketing.

At the end, plan to check your methods weekly to see if they work and tweak them as needed.

Real-life uses of pre-mortems:

Fitness Goals: If getting hurt is a big risk, prevent it by slow training buildup, rest days, and moving well. A switch-up plan might be low-stress cardio and seeing a therapy pro if pain sticks for over 48 hours.
Career Goals: When chasing a certificate, getting too much can make you put off studying. Stop this by setting your study in small, everyday 30-minute chunks. Miss two and your backup is to set weekly catch-up calls with a guide.

After you map out possible rough spots, you're ready to make quick answer plans with If-Then plans.

Build If-Then Plans

If-Then plans are your quick fix for problems. They link a set case to an action: “If X happens, then I will do Y.” These plans cut down the stress of choosing what to do next because they give you a clear, quick move to make, even when things are tough.

Don't make plans like “If I get busy, I’ll try harder.” Go for clear, doable steps. For instance, say “If a meeting goes long, I’ll move my focus time to 8:00–8:30 a.m. the next day.” This way, you know what will start your action.

Peter Gollwitzer's study shows that folks with If-Then plans are about twice as apt to meet their goals. Why? These plans give quick mind paths to follow when things get hard.

Here are some If-Then plans for common issues:

Perfectionism: “If I edit a slide for over 30 minutes, I’ll share it and ask for thoughts.”
Social Comparison: “If I start to match my pace to others on LinkedIn, then I’ll close it and work for 10 minutes on my own goal.”
Worry Before Talks: “If I start to panic before a talk, I’ll breathe deep for two minutes and look at my key points.”
Bouncing Back: “If I miss my marks twice, I’ll take 15 minutes to check my big risks and fix a plan.”

Match your plans to what’s at stake. For small goals, keep things easy: “If guitar feels hard, then I’ll slow down the beat for one round.” For big goals, be exact: “If my funds fall under $3,000, then I’ll cut back spends and get a short job.”

Put your If-Then plans where you’ll see them when needed - on your desk, your phone, or places you look often. The goal is to turn these actions into habits, so when there’s trouble, you don’t just ponder - you do.

Step 7: Make a Help Team

Going at tough times alone can make your fear of failing worse and start a cycle of very bad thoughts. Having people to support you gives new ideas when you're stuck, keeps you on track when you want to quit, and cheers you up when things don't work out.

Did you know that almost 90% of people with a big fear get better by facing their fear bit by bit? Talking about what scares you with people you trust can stop you from thinking too much and show new ways to face your problems.

Know Who You Need

See your help team as a group, where each person adds a special help to your success. Not all in your life need to do the same thing.

Mentors: They are your wise guides. They’ve gone through hard times too and can show you how to see these as part of growing. For example, a mentor in your work area might tell how they got past a no or a fall at the start of their work life.
Friends or partners: These people are in a similar spot. They get the hard work because they are going through their own tough times. Meeting with them often can remind you that you’re not alone.
Coaches or therapists: Experts like therapists or coaches bring skills and know-how. They can show you how to handle worry, change bad thoughts, or plan step by step to beat fear. Like, a talk expert might help with stage fright, while a business coach can help you get better at bouncing back.

When making this group, think about trust and keeping things private. Pick people who keep your secrets, don't use hurtful words, and know what they’re talking about - whether it’s in your job area or in proven mental health ways. Being there for each other is key, so make sure they can meet regularly.

Be clear about what you need from your help team. Say what it is for (like, "every two weeks to keep track of practice and goals"), what it covers ("work tries, not emergency help"), and when ("every other Wednesday at 5:30 PM ET on Zoom"). These rules help keep everyone on the same page and focused on your betterment.

Once your group is set, start a regular plan to keep the help steady and good.

Start a Feedback Plan

Keeping things regular is key to a help team that works - it’s more important than how intense it is. A set plan keeps you on path and lets you think on both your wins and hard times.

Meet for 30 minutes every two weeks. Keeping it short and as planned makes it easy to keep up, even when busy or down.

Here’s a good plan to use:

5 minutes: Talk about your good and bad times.
10 minutes: Look over your steps taken and what you learned.
10 minutes: Make new goals and pick a small step to face a fear.
5 minutes: Set the next meet and get ready for any close challenges.

To keep things neat, share a doc (set it up as MM/DD/YYYY) to see our steps. List key points like how many times we tried, what we learned each week, if we keep up with our goals, and how we felt (on a scale of 0-10) before and after tough times.

Feedback must be clear and help us do better. Use methods like SBI (Situation–Behavior–Impact) or Plus/Delta - where you show one good thing and one spot to work on - to give clear and kind words.

Link your help team to your if-then plans from Step 6. You might say: "If I get a no email, then I'll send it to my peer with one lesson learned within 24 hours", or "If I miss a planned test, then I'll do a short 10-minute test that same day and send my coach a pic of the plan." These small but open promises can stop too much thinking and push us forward.

When you ask someone to help, try: "I’m trying to fear less by checking in often. How about we meet for 30 minutes every other Wednesday at 5:30 PM ET for the next eight weeks to talk about wins, lessons, and what to do next?"

Conclusion: Overcoming Fear of Failure Takes Time

Beating your fear of not doing well does not come fast. It takes time, being steady, and doing it a lot. You grow bit by bit, and if you keep at it, you can turn fear into a way to get better.

Main Points from the 7 Steps

The seven steps given before help change how you see not doing well. Each step works on a part of fear, but all together, they make a full way to see messing up as a key to getting better.

See messing up as useful info: See it as help that makes you better.
Get stronger by facing fears: Slowly face hard things to handle them better.
Get help from friends or mentors: Have people you trust help and guide you.

When hard times sure do come, use this simple way of thinking to keep going:

"Failure is normal and expected; it’s information, not a final judgment. My focus is on practicing and learning - not perfection. Each attempt makes the next one easier. I’ll adjust and try again."

Start Now

Begin using these tips with easy, small steps. Pick a simple task to work on, think about what you learn, and note your growth with easy ways to measure. After each try, find one main thing you learned and one change to make before you try once more.

Get ready for hard times by making plans for what you'll do if problems come up. Talk about what you're doing with a friend or a guide to get their thoughts and to help you stay true to your goals.

Keep this in mind: trust in yourself doesn't show up before you act - it builds as you act. Each time you step out of your safe space and face a tough spot, you teach your mind to see failure as a step to get better rather than a stop sign. You get better one careful step at a time.

For more help and ways to deal with tough times and grow, click on FromZeroToGrow. It's full of tools and true stories to help you start small and push forward.

FAQs

How do I know and deal with my fear of not doing well?

To find out what sets off your fears, start by getting to know yourself well. Watch the times that bring out strong feelings and look for patterns in your thoughts and acts. Taking time to think on these times can help you find the deep fears that shape how you react.

Once you know your triggers, learn to see them coming and find better ways to deal with them. Try deep breaths, writing your thoughts down, or changing bad thoughts to good ones. These steps can help a lot. With regular work on this, you can learn to face tough times with more hope and feel more in charge.

How can I make a good group of help to face my fear of not doing well?

To build a good help group, start by picking people who lift you up. These can be guides, good friends, family, or work friends who really get your tough spots and can help and cheer you on when you need it.

When you talk about your fears with them, it can make you feel less alone and bring new ideas you might not have thought of. A good help group doesn’t just root for you - it keeps you strong when things get hard, making it easy to face problems and feel sure again.

In short, this kind of help group acts like both a safe spot and a source of power, helping you deal with your fears and keep going.