New book from NYT bestselling author Lewis Howes is now available!

New book from NYT bestselling author Lewis Howes is now available!

 

Lewis Howes

Why You're Afraid of Success (and How to Overcome It)

Are you afraid of winning?

I want to start this episode with a quote from John Stuart, who said, “I’m doing everything I can to sabotage my career. It’s a little thing called, ‘fear of success.'”

We often talk about the fear of failure, and even though Stuart may have been joking, at least on the surface, the fear of success is both real and potentially crippling.

Here at The School of Greatness, we’re on the cusp of a big, big milestone coming up. Our next episode is Episode 1000.

When people say that they have a fear of success — I understand. I could fear that I won’t be able to continue the growth at this level. I’ve gotten to a thousand episodes, but will I be able to continue to be relevant? Can I keep this up? The bigger you get, the more people might try to take you down. Am I ready for that?

Success comes with extra pressure and extra responsibilities. You may feel the need to be perfect, especially if you’re in the spotlight. How do you guard yourself against this fear? How do you keep yourself from folding under that pressure?

In this 5-Minute Friday, I want to give you four steps that you can use to face the fear of success and enjoy the big moments in your life.

“Don’t miss the moment because you’re thinking about everything that comes with it.” @lewishowes  

Step #1: Don’t worry about the outcome. This is huge. It’s often so hard to do because we set expectations and goals for ourselves. But don’t forget to be proud of the efforts too, not just the outcome. You’re going to be so much more grateful and appreciative and take the pressure off of that moment.

Step #2: Don’t miss the moment because you’re thinking too much about everything that comes with it. .When you have a big speech, when you’ve got a book launch, or any other big moment coming up, you want to soak it in. You want to soak in the whole week. You want to enjoy it. You gotta appreciate it and not just say, “Okay, we’ve reached it — onto the next thing” or, “It wasn’t what I wanted it to be.” You gotta be present with the moment.

Step #3: Trust the timing of where you’re at. Understand that you’re exactly where you need to be. This is often really hard — especially when you’re in a tough spot. I remember when I was broke, sleeping on my sister’s couch, and I had a mentor in Columbus, Ohio, and I was like, “Man, I could really use some money right now.” And he said, “Money comes to you when you’re ready for it. And I was like, “I feel like I’m really ready to make some money.” And at that moment, I wasn’t. I didn’t have the skills, the tools, the knowledge, or the wisdom on how to manage that success at that moment. So the right success comes to you when you’re ready for it. That’s what you’ve always got to be learning and growing and trust the timing of your life.

Step #4: Celebrate how far you’ve come. Even if you’re not where you want to be. Even if the outcome isn’t perfect, celebrate, don’t let the expectation of an outcome make you the moment, make a memory out of a milestone. You can’t be so caught up in moving forward, that you miss celebrating the present.

I hope these four steps will support you in your journey so that you don’t have the fear of success! This fear can cripple so many people from actually putting out their gifts in the world. And you are too talented, my friend. You are too gifted. You are too powerful, and you should never let the fear of success hold you back from putting out what you want in the world. I hope this episode emboldens you!

Also, heads up: We’re doing something very special with Episode 1000. We’re doing a big giveaway with some cash prizes, iPhone, iPads, and laptops, all that stuff — so make sure you don’t miss that on Monday!

But for now, join me on Episode 999 to learn how to conquer the fear of success!

Some Questions I Ask:

In this episode, you will learn:

Show Notes:

Connect with
Lewis Howes

Transcript of this Episode

Music Credits:

Music Credit:

Next Galaxy by Extan

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