Category: Goal

Posted in Goal

Fear of Failure: The True Reason You Aren’t Successful

Posted on by tracydee

Do you have a fear of failure?

I truly believe one of the biggest things that has held me back from achieving goals, or at least achieving them as quickly as I could have, has been fear of failure. This is human nature to want to succeed and not look stupid or be embarrassed by a less than desirable outcome of something.

But I have to wonder, how many times has fear of failure stopped me from doing something great or finding a new passion or hobby to enjoy? I recently read Hello Fears by Michelle Poler, which I do recommend as a positive self growth opportunity. She documents her 100 days of facing down different fears from dancing in Times Square to speaking at a TedX conference. In her story, she breaks down different emotions and feelings she had to go through to conquer each of her fears.

Fear of failure is also known by the name atychiphobia. This may be an unwillingness to try anything new unless it is guaranteed to be a success. Sometimes this is tied to another psychological phenomenon known as imposter syndrome. It makes it challenging to feel as though you deserve something or that you will be good enough at whatever it is that you need or want to do.

Why do people have a fear of failure?

Some people grow up in households where they are not supposed to show imperfections or are held to super high standards. Everything is expected to be perfect and anything less than that is unacceptable. This could be something an adult has shown them or some internal pressure placed on themselves.

Other reasons people are afraid to fail include potential shame or embarrassment that may come from not reaching a goal. They may place a lot of emphasis on what others think or have fear of failure accompanied by anxiety.

Perhaps you’ve been knocked down many times in the professional world when you’ve tried to express your ideas. This could be a block to further wanting to share ideas or come up with new innovative ways to do things.

fear of failure
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

How many successful people have failed?

Lots of successful people failed many, many times on their path to success. It is not always a linear process, but many times filled with ups and downs that teach lessons. One of the most famous examples is the inventor of the lightbulb, Thomas Edison, who failed 1,000 before making the lightbulb function and work.

Have you ever heard of Harry Potter? Chances are you have because between the books and the movies, JK Rowling has made over $15 billion. It’s an international sensation, but was rejected 12 times at first.

Oprah Winfrey had a television gig that did not go so well where she faced challenges and was ultimately fired from that position. She didn’t give up and went on to have her own talk show and is a billionaire.

I could go on and on. Think of a famous person who you admire and respect. Do some research about their background. Chances are if they started a business, wrote a book, or starred in a movie, somewhere along the way they faced rejection and failure. The key is they did not let that stop them from pursuing their dreams.

Moral of the story? Failure is a step to growth so even if we might fail, we have to try. If we never try, then we’ll never know if we could have run that marathon, finished that degree, or started that new business. It will always be a “what if?”. How many what if’s do you have and what can you change moving forward?

Posted in Goal, Lifestyle, Personal Skills

Blocks to Moving Forward: Fear of Failure

Posted on by tracydee

I truly believe one of the biggest things that has held me back from achieving goals, or at least achieving them as quickly as I could have, has been fear or failure. This is human nature to want to succeed and not look stupid or be embarrassed by a less than desirable outcome of something.

But I have to wonder, how many times has fear of failure stopped me from doing something great or finding a new passion or hobby to enjoy? I recently read Hello Fears by Michelle Poler, which I do recommend as a positive self growth opportunity. She documents her 100 days of facing down different fears from dancing in Times Square to speaking at a TedX conference. In her story, she breaks down different emotions and feelings she had to go through to conquer each of her fears.

Fear of failure is also know by the name atychiphobia. This may be an unwillingness to try anything new unless it is guaranteed to be a success. Sometimes this is tied to another psychological phenomenon known as imposter syndrome. It makes it challenging to feel as though you deserve something or that you will be good enough at whatever it is that you need or want to do.

Why are people afraid to fail?

Some people grow up in households where they are not supposed to show imperfections or they are held to super high standards. Everything is expected to be perfect and anything less than that is unacceptable. This could be something an adult has shown them or some internal pressure placed on theirselves.

Other reasons people are afraid to fail include potential shame or embarrassment that may come from not reaching a goal. They may place a lot of emphasis on what others think or have fear of failure accompanied by anxiety.

Perhaps you’ve been knocked down many times in the professional world when you’ve tried to express you ideas. This could be a block to further wanting to share ideas or come up with new innovative ways to do things.

How many successful people have failed?

Lots of successful people failed many, many times on their path to success. It is not always a linear process, but many times filled with ups and downs that teach lessons. One of the most famous examples is the inventor fo the lightbulb, Thomas Edison, who failed 1,000 before making the lightbulb function and work.

Have you ever heard of Harry Potter? Chances are you have because between the books and the movies, JK Rowling has made over $15 billion. It’s an international sensation, but was rejected 12 times at first.

Oprah Winfrey had a television gig that did not go so well where she faced challenges and was ultimately fired from that position. She didn’t give up and went on to have her own talk show and is a billionaire.

I could go on and on. Think of a famous person who you admire and respect. Do some research about their background. Chances are if they started a business, wrote a book, or starred in a movie, somewhere along the way they faced rejection and failure. The key is they did not let that stop them from pursuing their dreams.

Moral of the story? Failure is a step to growth so even if we might fail, we have to try. If we never try, then we’ll never know if we could have run that marathon, finished that degree, or started that new business. It will always be a “what if?”. How many what if’s do you have and what can you change moving forward?

Posted in Goal, Personal Skills, Time Management, Work From Home

Mastering the Power of Effective Scheduling: Some Tips to Make it Happen

Posted on by tracydee

Some people say that I’m a planner. Others say I’m calendar-oriented. Really, I just like to make sure that my time, tasks, and priorities are all reflected on my schedule. When someone asks me to do something and I agree (also power in saying no), I immediately add it to my Google Calendar, which can be accessed on my phone, iPad, and laptop. No matter where I am I have access to it.

If it is a work or professional meeting, I copy the Zoom or webinar link from the email and paste it directly into the calendar event that I create so that I do not have to search for the email when it’s time to log in.

Clarify your goals

It is important to know what you want to accomplish with your time. You cannot create an effective schedule if you don’t know what you are aiming for. I wrote a post on mini-goals here. Get specific on the main areas of your life and figure out the chunks of time that need to be spent on each.

Prioritize your tasks

When you sit down to work, or even at the beginning of every day, take a look at everything that needs to be accomplished. What is that one thing that can’t be put off? Do that first, in the morning if you can. For longer term projects, break it down into smaller deadlines and place those on your calendar. If you’re not sure how to prioritize, consider using a strategy like the Eisenhower Matrix.

Utilize a digital calendar like Google Calendar

Keep a calendar that can be accessed from all of your digital devices: laptop, phone, iPad, etc. That way, you always have access to what you need in the moment if someone asks to schedule something. Personally, because I work several part time jobs and manage my own schedule, I keep one Google Calendar for everything and color code by activity, including my personal commitments. For example, if a friend texts me and says, “hey, we should catch up on the phone Thursday around 8pm.” If I’m free, I actually confirm and add that to my calendar so I don’t forget to call or accidentally make plans to do something else because I forgot we were going to chat.

At work, I utilize my email kind of like a to do list. I try to check my email at certain points throughout the day, but if something comes on that I need to take care of that day or later in the week, I also add it to my calendar and include the reference email.

Learn to Say “Let Me Get Back to You”

If you’re a kind-hearted person who wants to follow through with helping people or do a good job, you’ll be tempted to say yes to everyone and everything. That is not a realistic way to manage a schedule because you will quickly become overwhelmed. However, instead of saying no right away, give yourself some think time when someone asks you to do something or for another meeting or a favor. Evaluate if it fits with your goals and priorities or fits in any extra time you have available for leisure. If not, perhaps you may have to decline or ask the person to check in with you at a later date.

These are just some of the strategies that I use on a regular basis to maintain my schedule. Please leave a comment if you’d like to hear more about any of them!

Posted in Goal

I completed a half marathon – Here are 5 steps you can try now!

Posted on by tracydee
I’m really proud of myself that I completed a half marathon

When I give examples of a time in my life that I reached a major goal, I often refer back to when I ran a half marathon. In my twenties, I told myself I would run a half marathon before I turned 30. Each year, 30 would creep closer and closer until finally I was 29 and a half and had not started training at all. It became clear to me that if I was going to reach this deadline, I had to start immediately and I had to create a plan.

Step 1 – Invest in some level of commitment!

About 6 months before my impending deadline, I researched a half marathon and registered. I figured if I was going to spend almost a hundred bucks on something, I better stick with it. By putting money on my goal, there was an added pressure of not wanting that to go to waste.

Step 2- Create an action plan!

You are more likely to follow through on a goal if you have a solid plan on how to actually get there. When you get in your car to go somewhere new, you use your phone or GPS to guide you to your destination. You have to create a guide to get to the finish line. I started jogging and walking to build up my stamina. When the half marathon date was getting within sight, I created a 12 week mileage plan to get me to the 13.1 mile goal. I tracked my plan and what I actually stuck with. I wasn’t 100% accurate, but the key was to not give up and to keep going.

completed a half marathon

Step 3 – Adjust my environment

I didn’t realize how much time was involved in training for a half marathon when I first set out to do this. At the time, I was a full time teacher in grad school so I had to work every day and then go to class twice a week in the evenings. I decided the best time to run during the week was in the morning or it just wasn’t going to happen. Many nights I would sleep in my running clothes with my sneakers nearby and get up at 4:45am to meet my running partner. Thankfully, I had a friend to keep me going and we stayed accountable to one another.

After about building up to 4-5 miles, I started to get tired during my run. I realized I needed to do some research on how to sustain a long run. It was time to invest in a few new items. I went and got fitted for proper running shoes and my favorite ones now are Brooks Ghost. Recently, I tried another brand, but I don’t like it as much so I will go back to Brooks with my next pair.

I knew I needed to carry water with me so I got one of those vests that can hold small bottles. One of my favorite discoveries was the sustaining power of GU. My favorite flavor was the chocolate. The little packets fit nicely in the vest as well. Because of my training plan, I was able to experiment with just the right amount of GU to keep me full, but not too full.

Step 4 – Tell everyone!

Some people say you should keep your goals to yourself. And some researchers say telling friends improves your chances of actually reaching the goal. For me, the more people I tell, the more likely I am to reach it. And because I was teaching kids, I had cheerleaders every day asking me how my training was going and rooting for me to succeed. That meant something and inspired me to keep going even when it got hard.

Step 5 – Follow through!

Sometimes this last step is the hardest one. Just show up. Follow through. Trust that you did all the training and that you’re ready. Weeks 9 and 10 I had bronchitis and I wasn’t sure I was going to get through to the end. However, I trusted that the weeks of training leading up to it would take me through. I didn’t go fast. I took my time because it was about finishing and not about speed. When I ran through that finish line, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment. It was amazing. I’m proud of reaching this goal and working hard to achieve it. You can do it too!

Posted in Goal, Outdoor Adventures

I Completed a Half Marathon: How I Did It!

Posted on by tracydee


*Affiliate links

When I give examples of a time in my life that I reached a major goal, I often refer back to when I ran a half marathon. In my twenties, I told myself I would run a half marathon before I turned 30. Each year, 30 would creep closer and closer until finally I was 29 and a half and had not started training at all. It became clear to me that if I was going to reach this deadline, I had to start immediately and I had to create a plan.

Step 1 – Invest in some level of commitment!

About 6 months before my impending deadline, I researched a half marathon and registered. I figured if I was going to spend almost a hundred bucks on something, I better stick with it. By putting money on my goal, there was an added pressure of not wanting that to go to waste.

Step 2- Create an action plan!

You are more likely to follow through on a goal if you have a solid plan on how to actually get there. When you get in your car to go somewhere new, you use your phone or GPS to guide you to your destination. You have to create a guide to get to the finish line. I started jogging and walking to build up my stamina. When the half marathon date was getting within sight, I created a 12 week mileage plan to get me to the 13.1 mile goal. I tracked my plan and what I actually stuck with. I wasn’t 100% accurate, but the key was to not give up and to keep going.

Step 3 – Adjust my environment

I didn’t realize how much time was involved in training for a half marathon when I first set out to do this. At the time, I was a full time teacher in grad school so I had to work every day and then go to class twice a week in the evenings. I decided the best time to run during the week was in the morning or it just wasn’t going to happen. Many nights I would sleep in my running clothes with my sneakers nearby and get up at 4:45am to meet my running partner. Thankfully, I had a friend to keep me going and we stayed accountable to one another.

After about building up to 4-5 miles, I started to get tired during my run. I realized I needed to do some research on how to sustain a longer run. It was time to invest in a few new items. I went and got fitted for proper running shoes and my favorite ones now are Brooks Ghost. Recently, I tried another brand, but I don’t like it as much so I will go back to Brooks with my next pair.

I knew I needed to carry water with me so I got one of those vests that can hold small bottles. One of my favorite discoveries was the sustaining power of GU. My favorite flavor was the chocolate. The little packets fit nicely in the vest as well. Because of my training plan, I was able to experiment with just the right amount of GU to keep me full, but not too full.

Step 4 – Tell everyone!

Some people say you should keep your goals to yourself. And some researchers say telling friends improves your chances of actually reaching the goal. For me, the more people I tell, the more likely I am to reach it. And because I was teaching kids, I had cheerleaders every day asking me how my training was going and rooting for me to succeed. That meant something and inspired me to keep going even when it got hard.

Step 5 – Follow through!

Sometimes this last step is the hardest one. Just show up. Follow through. Trust that you did all the training and that you’re ready. Weeks 9 and 10 I had bronchitis and I wasn’t sure I was going to get through to the end. However, I trusted that the weeks of training leading up to it would take me through. I didn’t go fast. I took my time because it was about finishing and not about speed. When I ran through that finish line, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment. It was amazing. I’m proud of reaching this goal and working hard to achieve it. You can do it too!