Nothing is ever perfect. Overcome your fear of failure and stop living in fear. You can't solve it by spending more money, working harder, buying software, or delegating it. The obstacle to starting a small business is not actually about products or selling or money – it's fear of failure. Now fear that saves you from physical harm, such as the fear you feel when you see a huge slavering dog standing in your path or the fear that prevents most of us from shooting over Niagara Falls in a barrel, is a healthy thing. As I listened to him describe the situation, it became clear that the failure was related to his company and outside industry factors, rather than to any misstep on his part. But because he had shifted his mindset and redefined what constituted failure and success, he was able to absorb the results of the experience more gracefully and with less angst than he had expected.Though nervous about the process, Alex’s desire to become a CEO was an approach goal because it focused on what he wanted to achieve in his career rather than what he hoped to avoid. It was the first time he had interviewed for the C-level, and when we met, he was visibly agitated. Even a little action at a time is going to help you build momentum.Start with direct messaging two new connections every day. Not putting things out there is safe.Success is not safe. Like asking for a speaking gig, or facilitating a big meeting, or pitching a new client.What if instead of dreading failure, you chose to thankful for opportunities to fail? Obsessing over details is safe. Emotional symptoms include feeling powerless, anxious, intense panic, and fear. Start by redefining what failure means to you. I still fail at something almost every day, but because I am willing to try, I also succeed sometimes, too. But not doing something because you’re afraid to get started isn’t going to help you grow. You just have to be darn good (and willing to grow and change and always become better and better). Research has shown that employees who take on an I asked Alex to make three lists:  first, the worst-case scenarios if he bombed the interview; second, things he could do to prevent the failure; and third, in the event the flop occurred, what could he do to repair it. One of the biggest things to overcome is fear. ).Let’s be honest – your idea of perfect probably isn’t everyone else’s idea of perfect anyway.And spoiler alert: no one is perfect. It just needs to add your unique perspective and value.Be yourself, and imagine you’re having a conversation with someone you know.

Here are four strategies to help you get over the hump.

Use positive thinking to … has to be perfect, cut yourself some slack. Otherwise, we’ll never get anywhere with our big ideas.Putting yourself out there and being willing to fail is brave – no doubt about it.We all fail at some point. As entrepreneurs, our ego and identity become so … A fundamental part of overcoming business failure is rooted in the mindset you have. Your feelings around these two little words might be making or breaking your business growth.A fear of failure can freeze an entrepreneur in his or her tracks.A healthy relationship with failure, however, can help a business owner build resilience, confidence and momentum in business.And this is coming from someone who used to suffer from I was someone who would pour over a new program, or speech, or new technology, and wait and tweak and wait until everything felt just right before debuting my project baby to the world. Don’t self-sabotage by trying to do everything at once. I can tell you now from the other side, learning to have a healthy relationship with failure has been an absolute game changer for my business and personal life.Accepting failure as an opportunity to make change has redesigned the way I work and live.Failure is a gift. How to Overcome Fear of Failure With Awareness Dr. Albrecht suggests that an awareness of fear within us and a recognition that it is just basic information is one of the keys to overcoming fear.

Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School. Here are four steps you can take:Let’s go back to Alex as an example of how to execute this. As he thought about his interview, he realized that his initial bar for failing the task — “not being hired for the position” — was perhaps too high given that he’d never been a CEO and had never previously tried for that top job.