752. Do You Have a Hidden Fear of Success? Here’s How to Get Past It

Some of you might have something holding you back that you don’t even know about. It’s deeply rooted in your subconscious and it’s stopping you from achieving what you want in life. That thing is a hidden fear of success. It might sound funny at first, but it’s a very real fear that many people experience. But, how do you squash that fear when you might not even be aware it exists?

The first step to getting over a fear of success is understanding what it is. Deep down, the fear of success is usually just the sum of many micro-fears of change. How will your life change if you succeed? How will it be better — and how will it be worse? The truth is that you will lose some things when you reach your goals, even before, on your journey toward them. Friends may be jealous. Family may question your skill set. You have to weigh these against everything else you stand to gain and have gained already.

There are a few things holding you back:

  • We think that we have unspoken agreements with people that we will always stay the same. But no one stays the same. Even more, you’re not supposed to.
  • Good is the enemy of great. What often holds you back from greatness is the fear of letting go of a life that’s “good enough.”
  • Fear of more work as you become more successful.

It’s possible to work around all of these. More than fear of change, we should be afraid of staying the same. In hindsight, it will be impossible to imagine ever staying in your life the way it was. We should always be growing and adapting.