Why Fear Of Failure Is Costing You Money (And What You Can Do About It)

Maria Alcantara
7 min readApr 29, 2022
Photo by Keith Tanner on Unsplash

We all know that fear of failure can hold us back in life. Whether it’s in our personal or professional lives, that nagging voice in our head telling us we’re not good enough can stop us from achieving our goals. But what you may not know is that this fear can also cost you money.

Fear of failure can be a major roadblock to success. It is costing you money because It can keep you from starting your own business, asking for a raise, or investing in your education. It can even keep you from taking calculated risks that could lead to financial success.

In this post, we’ll explore how fear of failure can keep you from reaching your financial goals, and more importantly, what you can do to overcome it.

Why do we fear failure?

Fear of failure is a natural emotion that we all experience at some point in our lives. For some people, this fear can be so overwhelming that it paralyzes them and prevents them from taking any action at all. This fear can be especially prevalent when it comes to money. People often associate failure with losing money, not being able to provide for their families, and other negative outcomes.

As a result, many people avoid making any financial decisions that could lead to potential failure. This fear can cause people to miss out on opportunities and lose money in the long run.

We fear failure because we think it means that we’re not good enough. We’re scared of the judgment of others, and we worry that we’ll never be able to achieve our goals if we mess up. We also tend to believe that failure is permanent. As a result, we’re often unwilling to take risks for fear of being unsuccessful.

This fear can have a major impact on our lives, both professionally and personally. We may avoid asking for a raise or promotion because we’re afraid of being rejected, or we may avoid starting our own business because we’re scared of not making enough money.

We fear failure because of the potential consequences. We may worry about what others will think of us, or we may be afraid of the financial and emotional toll a failure could take. We may also be afraid of not living up to our own expectations. Whatever the reason, fear of failure can keep us from taking risks and achieving our goals.

The cost of fear: opportunity cost

When you allow fear to hold you back, you’re sacrificing opportunities- opportunities that may not come again. Fear can also lead to something called “opportunity cost.” Opportunity cost is the price of forgoing a better option in favor of a lesser one, it is what we lose when we don’t take an opportunity.

In terms of fear and money, this means that we’re missing out on potential profits and income when we don’t take risks or try new things. So, when it comes to fear of failure, ask yourself what you might be risking by not taking a chance.

Fear can lead to a debilitating array of emotions and thoughts that keep us from taking action or achieving our goals. These might include feelings of doubt, insecurity, self-consciousness, anxiety or even terror. When fear takes hold, it can be difficult to focus on anything else.

If you’re afraid to ask for a raise, you’re giving up the extra money you could be making. If you’re afraid to start your own business, you’re giving up the chance to be your own boss and make your own income. Fear of failure can keep us from reaching our full potential and cost us money in the process. But there is good news: we can overcome our fear and start taking action.

The cost of fear: mental cost

Fear of failure can cost you even more than money. It can cost you your mental peace, your confidence, and even your relationships.

You might start making excuses and find yourself unable to take risks — the very things that could help you achieve your goals. You might also find yourself wasting time on things that don’t matter, all because you’re afraid of what could happen if you don’t succeed.

You may find yourself second-guessing your decisions and paralyzed by the thought of making a mistake.It’s important to understand that failure is a natural part of learning and growing. Every successful person has tasted failure at some point in their lives. The key is to learn from your mistakes and keep going. Don’t let fear of failure hold you back from reaching your goals.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can overcome your fear of failure and achieve great things. The first step is acknowledging that this fear is holding you back. Once you understand the cost of fear, you can start taking steps to overcome it.

The cost of fear: physical cost

Fear of failure comes at a high cost. Not only does it affect your mental and emotional state, but it can also take a physical toll on your body. When you’re constantly worried about messing up or not being good enough, your stress levels skyrocket. This can wreak havoc on your immune system, digestive system and heart health, just to name a few. In fact, fear of failure has even been linked to conditions like anxiety and depression. Yikes!

You may experience physical symptoms such as nausea, a racing heart or headaches. You might also find yourself withdrawing from social activities or avoiding challenging tasks altogether. This can lead to a decrease in productivity and even cause you to miss out on opportunities. All of this is because fear of failure causes you to tense up, which limits your ability to think clearly and take action.

We often put so much pressure on ourselves to succeed, leading to all sorts of problems like high blood pressure, migraines and weight gain. These health problems not only make it difficult to achieve our goals, but they also cost us a lot of money in medical bills and treatments.

How to overcome the fear of failure

So how can we overcome our fear of failure and start achieving our goals?

The first step is to get rid of the negative self-talk. Learn to be kind and accepting to yourself, even if you don’t meet your own high standards.

Second, make a plan. Having a roadmap will help you feel more in control and give you a sense of accomplishment as you progress.

Finally, don’t be afraid to seek help. If you’re struggling with fear of failure, there’s no shame in getting professional assistance.

The fear of failure is a very real and very common thing. In fact, it’s one of the main reasons why so many people don’t take risks or chase their dreams. And while there’s nothing wrong with being cautious, letting the fear of failure hold you back is a surefire way to stay stuck where you are. The good news is that there are ways to overcome this fear and start achieving your goals. Here are a few tips:

1. Make a list of your fears and analyze them.

2. Challenge your beliefs about failure.

3. Take small steps towards your goal.

4. Practice self-compassion.

5. Find a support group or mentor.

6. Celebrate every victory, no matter how small it seems.

Are you holding yourself back from reaching your financial goals?

If so, it might be because of your fear of failure. This is a very common obstacle that many of us face. The good news is that there are ways to overcome it.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

• Acknowledge your fear. Just by recognizing that you’re afraid of failure, you’re already on your way to dealing with it.

• Break your goals down into smaller steps. This will make them seem less daunting and more achievable.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There’s no shame in admitting that you need some guidance or support.

• Take action. The only way to overcome your fear of failure is to take action and push through it.

While fear of failure can often prevent us from taking risks, it’s important to remember that risks can lead to great rewards. By learning to overcome our fear of failure, we can open ourselves up to new opportunities and achieve greater success. With the right mindset and a little bit of courage, you can overcome anything that stands in your way.

We fear failure because we’re afraid of the consequences. But what if we could reframe failure as a learning experience? What if we could see it as an opportunity to grow and become stronger? When we allow fear to control us, it costs us money — in opportunities lost, in mental anguish, and in physical health. But when we learn to overcome our fear of failure, we open ourselves up to limitless possibilities.

We also fear failure because we fear the unknown. We don’t know what will happen if we fail, so we assume the worst. This fear can have a major impact on our lives, both financially and otherwise. We miss out on opportunities because we’re afraid to take risks, and we let our fear of failure keep us from achieving our goals. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can overcome our fear of failure by understanding its costs and by taking steps to reduce its impact on our lives. With a little work, we can start to achieve the things we once thought were out of reach.

Ensuring that we are financially strong is a surefire to decrease fear of failure, here are some great tips on how to stop being afraid of investing & start building wealth. Life goes by too fast, go after your dreams!

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Maria Alcantara

Personal finance enthusiast and professional inspiring you to create your dream life — get my free book and guide at https://moneyletsbereal.gr8.com