Six steps to a more confident you

WANT to kick your fear of failure? Here are Natasha’s six top tips...

Name your fear and try to understand it

PICTURE what it is that you’re most afraid of and imagine the worst that could happen. Usually the answer is not as bad as we fear.

Notice your internal self-talk

TRY to consciously change negative thoughts about yourself. Focus on what you can change, rather than on what you can’t.

Make a plan for what you want to achieve

SET yourself realistic goals and manageable actions. If your goal feels too big and too scary, break it down and approach it gradually. What’s the first small step you could take to move towards it?

Separate the myths

THINK about what you know to be true and create an ‘I’ve got this’ list of 20 things you’ve ‘handled’ in your life so far – challenges or fears you’ve overcome, situations you’ve navigated or things you feel proud of.

Talk to colleagues or friends NOTICE the people in your life who demonstrate strong selfconfidence and self-belief.

Consider what they believe, say and do. What can you learn and how can you use some of these techniques yourself?

Make failure your classroom

WHEN you do fail, get in the habit of using mistakes to your advantage. What can you appreciate about what’s happened and what can you learn from it? Start by trying to understand your fear, make a plan and take a small step forwards.

Facing your fear of failure head on is likely to be uncomfortable, but let go of ‘perfect’ and embrace the chance of failure entering your life. It will be a valuable life lesson.