“Fear of failure was stopping my personal development.” Read how Ellen took the plunge.
Fear of failure. I can safely say I have that in abundance; a definite born worrier. I’ve always been quite risk averse, but until it came to writing this blog I hadn’t fully identified that it might actually be bordering on self-sabotage.
I have always been pretty steadfast in my professional life since leaving University in 2005 (yikes that is a while ago!). Up until 2017 I had only ever worked for two businesses. I always did well, I was often picked for promotion and there never seemed any real reason to look at other things. It was safe and secure, but I was attributing my success to those businesses rather than myself. Over the years I had been approached by other companies who were really interested in me, but that risk-averse voice would be whispering: “don’t be daft, you can’t move, what if you can’t do it, what if you fail, what if everyone thinks I’m a bit average really”. I kept on listening to that voice for many years. Fear of failure was stopping my personal development.
Returning to work after having my daughter, Isabella , I finally yielded and had one of those conversations. Maybe having a break from ‘head-down’ work gave me some perspective. It was a transformational point in my life! I finally muted the doubting voice, did some background research on the company and jumped! I have never looked back. I work with a new team of people who are super brilliant at what they do. They challenge themselves and therefore lead me to do the same everyday.
What having Isabella taught me was that sometimes when you choose to go down another path it can be, quite frankly, terrifying! But, you can only be your best self by accepting some challenges and proving to yourself that you are enough and you will be fine. I also found that failure really is a relative and temporary thing. Success and the confidence you gain from coming out of the other side lasts much longer and takes you places you might never have gone otherwise. It’s this journey that shapes and enriches your life.
