Fear of Making Mistakes

Fear of Making Mistakes

Mar 13, 2019

By Beth Barta, LCSW, CAC III

If mistakes help us learn and grow, why are we so afraid to make them? What are you holding yourself back from trying or doing because you are afraid to fail? See it as an experiment and go for it! You are always held in the flow of love, even when you struggle. Back in 2002, I really wanted to quit my full time job and start my own psychotherapy practice. I had been working at a homeless shelter for three years and I was feeling like I had learned everything I could from that experience. I met a colleague at the time that was contracted with the agency to provide individual therapy. We had similar training and background and while I was doing case management, she was providing therapy to some of my clients. I really wanted to do what she was doing. I was looking for a change. She encouraged me to start my own practice and invited me to join a group of women who were also starting their own businesses.

This changed everything. I met monthly with a group of entrepreneurial women and gained so much support. Seeing other women do what I wanted to do was so helpful for me. One way to start something new in your life is to “find your people.” Seek out connection with others who are living and doing what you want to do. This will provide the model, inspiration and courage to do it too! Another way to start something new is to read about it. Spend an afternoon at the bookstore or read blogs online to find inspiration. One strategy I work with people on is to explore what the deeper fear is related to and establish a more realistic perspective about “failing.” There is no Right and there is no Wrong. As we mature we can begin to realize that life is about a series of making the best decisions we can and learning, adjusting and adapting as we go.

In this season of Spring, which is about renewal and new life, what are you ready to launch, grow or develop in yourself or into the world? I’d love to hear a story about how you have overcome your own fear and leaned into accepting that failure may be a part of the experience, but it has not stopped you.

Beth Barta, LCSW, CAC III is enthusiastic about helping you become the person you are meant to be. She will guide, coach and support you in learning the tools to ground yourself, shed unwanted stories from the past, and leap with courage into experiencing joy.