How I Overcame Atychiphobia (Fear of Failure)

Why didn't you apply for that last position, grant opportunity or pursue that business or relationship? A possible answer is that you had an attack of Atychiphobia, which is fear of failure. Before you brush off this consideration, allow me to share my own experience and the symptoms with you.

I am one of those who enjoys thinking about making things better for myself and others. I would join many causes and was often recruited by those who saw my potential. I generally made significant contributions, but would leave the projects before seeing them come to success. I would sometimes be so critical and strong in my objections to others that people felt apprehensive about voicing any ideas that I might oppose. And I must not leave out the part about being so controlling that working with me was more of conceding to going along with what I wanted. I had to finally realize that my control issues were related to believing that situations, projects and relationships would fail if they were not done my way. Does this sound familiar?

Would you be surprised to find that many of today’s leaders may be dealing with a fear of failure? Would you be surprised to find that you may be struggling with some element of Atychiphobia yourself? Here are a few self examining questions to ask yourself. How many times have you started making plans for projects that you once thought were great ideas, and abandoned your plan? How many times have you heard about other people succeeding with doing something that you had considered, but decided that it would be too much trouble to do? How often have you convinced yourself that you simply don’t have the time to do the thing that would actually give you more time- if it succeeded like you thought it would. If your answer is “too many times” then it’s time to face the music. You may have been dancing to the self defeating rhythm of the Atychiphobe.

I believe that many people have been walking around with this dreadful affliction without realizing it. They display the symptoms but refuse to attach it to a specific diagnosis. I had to finally admit that I suffered from fear of failure. Some of the symptoms included: 1) starting projects and quitting before they reach their full potential. 2) Being overly critical of those working with me and finding fault for little things. 3) Others choosing not to work with me (even with my exceptional skills and abilities) – just to avoid conflict. I was struggling with a fear of failure and was too stubborn to admit to it for quite some time.

Just out of curiosity, I searched to find symptoms and treatment. I was initially mortified as a I read the first portion of my results after completing the online test. One of my search results began with the following:
Your Atychiphobia is seriously uncomfortable, and probably noticeably affecting your behavior. If you are committed you’ll be able to overcome it quickly with the right techniques…
Of course I immediately rejected this information. I was certainly not going to become an in-patient in some loony bin to overcome a so called case of atychy...whatever. However as I read further I realized that the committed that the article was expressing had to do with making a commitment to the exercises that they suggest- and was not about getting a bed in a room with mattresses on the walls. My fear of being institutionalized fizzled into slightly nervous laughter. I wasn't crazy- just challenged.

How I Overcome Atychiphobia
I believe that the best treatment for Atychiphobia is exercising your faith in God and committing to act on your (God-given) extra-ordinary ideas. It's not that God will not allow you to fail, but that God rewards your having enough faith to fail. Yes, it takes faith to fail because it takes faith to try.
This does not mean that you should try projects that are bound to fail just to show some faith. It means that if you are gifted with extra-ordinary ideas, then you may be getting an opportunity to accomplish a greatness that glorifies God and adds to your storehouse of treasures in heaven. I believe that the heavenly storehouse somehow influences the favor and blessings that is experienced in this earthly life as well. We must maximize our windows of opportunity by doing whatever we can to see our ideas through to success.

You may also need to separate yourself from the Atychiphobes who remain eager to tell you the practical reasons why your ideas simply will not work. These are the people who you hesitate to discuss new ideas with because you have grown to expect them to plant seeds of doubt. Unfortunately these may be the same ones that you usually want to share in your inspirations. Get some new, less practical and more adventurous companionship. You might need to start your own social network of Atychiphobes Anonymous. Let me know about it so that I might join.

It is time to pursue your extra-ordinary goals expecting and relying on God to get involved. If you hope to see success in 2012 you had better plan to walk on water. If you strive for the typical, trying-to-survive achievements, you are already too boring for today’s hyper informed population. The secret to this empowering posture is that you trust God enough to go after the difficult goals that require extra-ordinary intervention. You must be willing to try walking on water even if you ultimately sink a little. And if you start sinking, you know what to do. Just cry out "Lord save me!" But this time, stay committed to write the vision, develop the plan and see it through to success, that God will be glorified in your good works.

As the time for 2012 resolutions approaches many of us will review the past year or so realizing that we did not maximize opportunities. Perhaps some of us were afflicted with the spirit of Atychiphobia accompanied by a paralyzing "what if" mentality. What if this doesn't work? What if I am blamed for it not working? What if I lose credibility because I fail?... and so on and so forth. But what if we decide to have the same mindset that caused Peter to try walking on water like Jesus? What if we decide "doggonnit, I want to at least know what it's like to try it!"

Unfortunately, many of us have been stuck at the thought of trying it. Perhaps some of us are hindered due to a mild to severe case of Atychiphobia. But take heart, there is treatment for the Atychiphobe. One approach that I have taken to overcome Atychiphobia is by embracing failure as evidence that there was at least an attempt to walk on the water.

Moving forward towards 2012, I am excited about trying to walk on water and trusting that the Lord will not let me drawn. Even if I sink a little, at least I got wet.

Click to try this online Atychiphobia test.