subject: Overcoming The Career Change Fear-part 2 [print this page] There is a common fear that many people experience and that is a fear of success. The problem with this fear is that sometimes people don't recognize that it is a problem for them.
One common trait in people who have a fear of success is for them to get very close to achieving their goals but then do something that is self-sabotaging. For example, they might set a goal to save $10,000 so they can start their own business. They begin saving and over time get very close to saving the amount they need. But then they start to get stressed because they start thinking about how close they are to starting their own business and all the new responsibilities and challenges they will have to manage. Next thing they know, they are out frivolously spending most (if not all) of the money they saved. They then tell themselves something very negative like, "See, I was never meant to be successful. I can't even save up the money I need!"
Research has shown that people who fear success usually have low self-esteem. They may think they are not good enough, smart enough, or capable enough to be successful. They think they don't deserve it. They have trouble seeing a bigger picture for themselves.
For example, if you grew up living in a small apartment and continued to live in a small apartment when you moved out on your own, it may be hard to picture yourself living in a two-story, four-bedroom home with a large yard. Even though it may be something you have always wanted, you might have developed various self-limiting beliefs about yourself in comparison to how you view the people who live in those types of homes. One belief might be that you just aren't like them and you could never be successful enough to have that much money to afford such a home.
I can tell you from my own experiences in life that the only difference between someone who is successful and someone who is not successful, is that the successful person set some goals, worked at them and followed through with them until they achieved what they wanted, and the unsuccessful one didn't-period. Which one do you want to be?
If you find that you have a real problem with the limiting fear of success, take some time to read more about your fear and the psychological dynamics that are at play. There are many helpful articles on the internet that have helpful tips on how to overcome this problem, as well as many books on the topic. The best way to overcome "any" problem is to learn all you can about it and the various ways to overcome it. Then follow through and rid yourself of it.
Feeling afraid when setting out to do something new is very normal. You just want to make sure you don't let it control you or keep you from pursuing what you want. Everyone is capable of succeeding-you just need to believe in yourself and keep moving forward with your plan.
