Tip of the Month - May 2025
Dealing with the “Fear of Failure”
…FOF, also known as atychiphobia, is defined as a persistent and irrational anxiety about failing to meet expectations or achieve goals…
It often manifests as an ‘overwhelming feeling of dread’ when undertaking projects or pursuing life goals, leading individuals to worry excessively about not meeting their or others' standards or expectations.
The mind can impact how the body feels, and that’s certainly true when under duress, experiencing anxiety, when upset or frustrated, negative self-talk and thoughts can trigger greater feelings of anxiety, which can lead to FOF. However, it can mean different things to different athletes. Some have incredibly high standards for themselves, and when they don’t feel perfectly met, they feel inadequate. Others are so afraid of making mistakes that this works against them, leading them to the very result they were dreading. Ultimately, these cognitive distortions can limit athletes from looking beyond and deprive them of learning, growing, and prospering.
Athletes at all levels can experience FOF as competitors or in a team sport during their athletic careers. It is also one of the most challenging opponents athletes face. It deals with the need to turn around the personal mindset from an Amateur to a Professional, to deal with personal perfectionism, FOF, and then choking on race or game day.
It can include:
Second-guessing everything from performance technique to life choices.
Increased tension and tightness in the shoulders during warm-up.
Runaway thoughts while getting ready to train, perform, compete, or play the game.
Fear of failure is the brain trying to protect the sense of self-worth, but left unchecked, it turns to burnout, overthinking, and joyless performance.
Performing poorly under pressure and “choking.”
Suggestions: Redefining Failure
An essential part of overcoming fear of failure is developing a new perspective on failure. Instead of seeing failure as an absolute, life-destroying disaster, establish a new relationship with it. Shift your thinking so that you begin to see failure as:
Feedback – a chance to learn and grow.
A lesson, because reflecting on past failures to find their benefits can help to be more open to failure.
A surmountable challenge that provides an opportunity to move forward rather than a roadblock.
A fleeting or impermanent situation, not a permanent end to your path
Redefine Success:
Sometimes people spend so much energy and time trying not to fail that they forget to succeed. Think about what is desired and decide if fear of failing is standing in the way of actual achievement.
Create a daily Journal to express the emotional space between fears and reality.
Create structure (routines) for high-pressure moments.
Set realistic but still challenging short and long-term goals.
Make it all about process (Process and Outcome).
Focus on being task-oriented.
Set up discussion sessions with the coach (or professional) to plan helpful strategies and wellness exercises (focus, concentration, relaxation).
Be awesome, face the reality of personal performance or skill level, and bounce back from adversity.
Fear of failure can be doubly infuriating because it tends to happen to athletes who badly want to be successful, and often are perfectionists. Athletes should self-examine whether FOF is ‘driven’ by personal ambition to succeed, lack of self-worth, or is caused due to parental or coaching pressure.
Furthermore, coaches should start incorporating mental and physical Wellness exercises into their Sports program as early as possible because even young children can experience FOF very early due to various academic and athletic pressures (“Win at all Cost,” and Early Specialization). In addition, coaches should include educational seminars for parents and athletes on the impact of FOF and ways to recognize early symptoms.
Reference:
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Fear of failure. APA Dictionary of Psychology. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/fear-of-failure.
Martin, A.J. & Marsh, H. (2003, March). Fear of failure: Friend or foe? Australian Psychologist, 38(1): 31-38. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/247505640
Poirier-Leroy, O. (2025, May 12). How to beat fear of failure and swim fast when it matters. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: olivier@yourswimbook.com
Rowa, K. (2015). Atychiphobia (Fear of Failure). In I. Milosevic & R. E. McCabe (Eds.), Phobias: The psychology of irrational fear. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC.
Schloder, M.E. (2023). Fear of failure and fear of success in sports performance. Presentation. Calgary, Alberta, www.coachingbest.com