As I get closer to becoming an adult, I need to prepare myself for life after high school. Am I going to college while finding a job or should I go to trade school instead? But the million-dollar question I keep asking myself is, what should I do in life? As I think about this more and more, I get into a deep rabbit hole of “what ifs.” What if I never find my purpose? What if I fail in life? After having my weekly discussions with my brother about the future, I began to realize that fear of failure is just an excuse that holds me back from the life I want.
Fear of failure not only limits new challenges and opportunities, but it can cause emotional and mental problems. It can also affect risk-taking behavior. I understand how terrifying it is to take risks because I won’t know what the consequences will be. This leads me to overthink about the risk and at the end of the day, I choose the safer option. Being scared to fail limits my decision-making, which can also affect my future.
For example, during summer registration, I decided to take regular chemistry because I was scared I would fail a harder chemistry class. But I realize how fun and interesting the class is and I regret not taking a harder course like honors or AP Chemistry. My decision to play it safe might have affected my transcripts for future colleges.
According to an article from the European Journal of Political Economy, fear of failure can prevent a person from pursuing an entrepreneurship opportunity. This proves how fear of failure stops a person from taking the risk in creating their own business.
Not only does failure affect people from pursuing new challenges, it also affects how one views themselves, especially when the desire for perfectionism is so normalized these days. Being a perfectionist is a blessing and a curse because it reminds me how important details are in everything I do, but I also set a high standard for myself. These standards can be impossible to achieve and when I fail to do so, I feel disappointed and question my self-worth.
Unfortunately, many people also experience similar feelings and thoughts. According to a report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, “55 percent of students agreed or strongly agreed that, when they fail, they are afraid of not having enough talent.” Fear of failure can be very overwhelming for mental health, which leads to low self-esteem.
However, I’m glad that I stood up to my fear of failure. I remember in eighth grade, Publications came into my English classroom and promoted their yearbook and newspaper organization. Since I was interested in journalism, I was happy to know that my future high school would have that opportunity for me. When I applied to The Hoofprint in my freshman year, I didn’t get accepted but that fear of failure didn’t stop me from applying again for my sophomore year. After I got accepted in my second year of high school, I was scared to leave my comfort zone and talk to strangers for interviews. I was also worried that my writing wasn’t good enough to write articles. Since I had to face those fears of mine in order to do my work correctly, I learned so much and met new friends. I’m grateful that my fear of failure didn’t stop me from creating a new chapter in my life.
Ultimately, it’s important to face the fear of failure. By doing so, it will be easier for anyone to accept new challenges and opportunities without worrying about failing. Having the mindset that failure is proof of trying and seeing it as part of the progress, will result in personal growth.
