June 2018 – Life Tools Programme

When things don’t work out as you hoped: Managing fear of failure. Part 1.

University of Reading Mistakes and failure June 21, 2018September 19, 2021mistakes and failures

Sometimes, despite our continued efforts, we do not achieve the results we want. We may see this as failure.

“One of the greatest problems people have with failure is that they are too quick to judge isolated situations in their lives and label them as failures. Instead, they need to keep the bigger picture in mind.”
(J.C.Maxwell)

Mistakes happen, and any one of us can make them. When we make mistakes, or when things go wrong we can feel disappointed, frustrated, upset, or experience a mix of emotions. At first it may be difficult to look beyond the mistake so we tend to focus on what went wrong and overlook the wider context. Having a wider perspective on the situation can allow us to find alternative ways of solving the problem, so that we can eventually achieve our goals.
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When things don’t work out how you hoped: Managing fear of failure. Part 2.

University of Reading Mistakes and failure June 21, 2018July 28, 2019

In part 1 we looked at making mistakes and the meaning of failure. In this section we will focus on what you can do to manage situations where things don’t work out how you hoped.

“Focus on the possibility of change, to get unstuck and make progress. When you doubt your abilities focus on the belief that you can manage the situation. It is OK not to be perfect.” (Mlodinov, 2018)

How to manage fear of failure and find ways to get on with tasks?

Review and manage expectations of Perfectionism:

Perfectionism triggers further tension as it creates unrealistic expectations, which if not achieved exactly can cause significant distress. The associated negative thinking that comes with unrealistic expectations undermines our hope, and changes our behaviour – we are less likely to make efforts to persevere with our tasks (Ben-Sahar, 2009).
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