Preparation: The Antidote to Fear of Failure - Darius Foroux

People create goals in 2 ways: By being proactive, meaning they are motivated by achieving a positive outcome. And by being avoidant, meaning they develop goals to avoid something undesirable.

It’s the difference between people who play the game to win. And others who play to avoid losing. The thing is, we don’t control most of our results in life.

That doesn’t mean we should aim very low. When you’re in a situation where you have no control over the outcomes, remember that you have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength

• Learn – Consume as much information as you can in a limited time period.
• Act – There comes a time when you have to put down your book and start practicing what you learned. Many people never start.
• Adjust – Most things we pursue in life are not final. You can always switch jobs, careers, start a different business, pick up new hobbies, move to another city, and so forth. Simply adjust your path if it doesn’t work out.

The most important thing about the LAA framework and overcoming the fear of failure is that life is a fluid process.

Preparation helps you try out new things and go the distance. It’s there to reassure you that you have something to fall back on if things go wrong. 

Starting a business, switching careers, investing in the stock market as a beginner, and so forth – these aren’t a matter of life and death. Not like walking an actual tightrope between two skyscrapers.

When you realize that your psychological fear can be allayed by preparation, you’ll be just fine.