We all fear making mistakes—but why? If you know the why, you discover why you’re putting something off.
I’ve missed opportunities in the past related to public speaking. My fear of talking in front of a group of people. I worried about making mistakes, looking foolish, and embarrassing myself.
You may relate, public speaking is one of the commonest phobias. This post looks at 7 reasons we fear making mistakes.
This knowledge empowers us, it’s the first step to overcoming fear and ending procrastination. A starting point by which we can reflect on the – why?
7 Reasons We Fear Making Mistakes (and Possible Fixes)
#1. Fear of Being Judged by People
This is a common reason people fear acting. For example, you were asked to present in front of colleagues, how might you feel?
Would you put it off or say no, looking foolish in front of people is a worry. But in reality, is it that serious, would messing up really matter?
Think back to a time when you messed up in front of others, was it that serious, or was it forgotten or did they even notice. If people do notice, they’ll likely empathise, more than criticise.
Keep this in mind, it will help alleviate the fear of making public mistakes.
#2. Mistakes Can Damage Your Self-Image
How we view ourselves is important, our self-image influences how we act in situations. For example, if we play golf, are confident of our ability we play well.
Our level of confidence is upheld, and our self-worth is maintained. However, if we started to make mistakes, our whole image of ourselves could be shaken – confidence knocked.
This situation can relate to all actions we take in life, it can cause us to delay, stop or avoid doing something. But we can overcome this with a simple mental switch.
Remind yourself that mistakes are unavoidable and a essential for learning learn. You weren’t born a great golfer, you made mistakes, learnt from them and became competent.
#3. Perfectionism Causes a Fear of Mistakes
A perfectionist may find mistakes intolerable. If it’s not flawless it’s not good enough. To believe imperfection is failure sets an impossible standard.
When we seek perfection in any task we can delay starting it. If we start it, a perfectionist may never finish it, because the desirable standard is too high. Which can lead to despondency and giving up.
I remember putting up wallpaper, I was complimented on the job I’d done. However I could see all the imperfections, which drive me crazy.
So, I sworn not to wallpaper again, however it became necessary to wallpaper a feature wall. Experience taught me that perfection wasn’t achievable. So, I set the bar lower, I did the best job I could, and although not perfect, it looked good.
Set the bar lower and allow imperfection, the fear of making mistakes will be reduced.
#4. Mistakes Diminish our Illusion of Control
Being in control is important for people, losing control can cause anxiety and stress. This worry causes people to become risk averse.
We have control over countless aspects of our lives, but sometimes mistakes happen. Which causes a person to feel vulnerable and unsure of themselves.
They may restrict their activities and behaviours to ensure that they remain in control of what’s happening.
But total control is an illusion. To overcome this fear, we must accept that things don’t always go to plan. Not everything is within our control, and micromanaging can be harmful and a waste of effort.
#5. Fearing That Effort and Time Will Be Wasted
Anything we work for could be ruined by making a mistake. Imagine learning to drive, you’ve spent a fortune on lessons, completed your theory test, but on test day make a mistake which leads to failure.
This is a common fear among learner drivers, the final driving test is the culmination of effort, time and money.
But this fear of making a mistake, could be the cause of the failure. Expecting mistakes focuses your attention on the negative, when positivity and confidence is needed.
Accept that mistakes happen, and that it’s an incredible learning tool, accept that what will be will be. With your best effort, it still happened, but there will be an opportunity to put it right.
#6. The Fear of Repeating the Same Mistake
When we make a mistake, we naturally fear making the same mistake again. It can harm us, prevent us from acting and cause us stress. The fear itself can create a self-fulfilling prophecy, causing us to repeat the mistake.
If we fear making the mistake again, we focus on the negative, put ourselves in the wrong state of mind. Which means we lack the resources for success.
For example, relationships can be challenging, if a past relationship went sour and ended, our experiences may jeopardise future relationships.
But if a mistake is embraced and we learn from it, we can behave in a more productive way, when faced with a similar situation.
#7. The Consequence of Making a Mistake
There are consequences to doing anything, but in certain situations the consequences can be severe.
Imagine going for a job interview in your chosen career, years of study have led to this point. The job is your dream job, in the company you would love to work.
But you make a mistake in the job interview, you may be super nervous or say something which puts you in a poor light.
How to prevail in such a situation? Have options, if you have a plan ‘B’ you put less pressure on yourself. Hope for the success but plan for failure.
Conclusion
A fear of making mistakes is natural. As we anticipate consequences, from looking foolish in front of our peers to an impact on our confidence.
But think of mistakes in a different light. We can shift our perspective from fear of making mistakes to concern of making mistakes. Being concerned rather than fearful, reduces the stress of leaving our comfort zone.
Often, the mistakes we worry about never happen, but if they do we know that often they’re out of our control. We put our best effort in, and they provide a valuable learning experience.
These experiences build resilience and develop a resourceful mindset. A way of viewing mistakes in a different, more positive light.
Rather than proof that you’re failing in life, instead they’re proof that you’re living life to the full, unafraid to act. What would be the biggest mistake, to take action and fail or to never try?