10-05-2025
Can The Fear Of Success Be The Mindset Block That's Costing You Money?
Can The Fear Of Success Be The Mindset Block That's Costing You Money?
You'll often hear people talking about how the fear of failure is holding them back from achieving success, but have you ever considered that the fear of success might be the real saboteur? The fear of success can create resistance and anxiety around achieving your goals, and it's not because you doubt that you can achieve them, it's more about what it means for you if you reach your goals.
Fear of success, which is unlike the fear of failure, which is rooted in embarrassment or fear of loss, has you fearing what will happen if things do go well and you achieve your goals. You may be worried about changing relationships, higher expectations of you, and the new levels of responsibility that come with a financially thriving business.
This is one of the clearest signs of fear of success. Instead of building on the momentum of a win, you pull back, disappear, or downplay the win. You might fear that if you keep succeeding, you'll have to maintain a standard that you aren't sure that you can. Subconsciously you hide from your success.
Being visible means putting yourself and your business out there to let others know that you are open for business. When you avoid doing this, it's a powerful way fear of success is showing up. More exposure means more attention, and that can threaten your comfort zone. Underneath it's a fear that people won't like you for how you are presenting yourself. It's a fear of rejection.
When success is tied to money, and money feels uncomfortable, you can sabotage the profit in your business. Underpricing and over-delivering is a common pattern in the fear of success, and you chase approval from your clients over building a profitable business.
Planning without action is a disguised form of self-protection, as it feels safe to be planning and not put your offer out there to face the possibility of rejection. Planning keeps you in your comfort zone, so you stay in the planning phase where it feels controlled.
Dimming your light and downplaying your dreams is a way to quell the fear of outgrowing your circle. You don't want to make others feel uncomfortable or distance yourself from friends and family, so you stay small to fit in.
The fear of success is costly. When you stay small to stay safe, you are missing out on revenue generating business activities such as onboarding new clients, and the recognition that comes with putting yourself out there. Although playing it safe might be appealing and feel comfortable, it's actually costing you more money in the form of not growing your business and not meeting your full potential.
This mindset will show up in all areas of your business, such as pricing, marketing, and the decisions you make to grow your business. You may avoid sales conversations in fear of what may happen if you get that client to work with you. You will experience imposter syndrome as you hide behind busywork that looks productive but doesn't move the needle.
Every time you hold back, you are leaving money on the table. And the longer you wait to step into your potential, the more money, impact, and confidence you will miss out on.
The bottom line is that the fear of success is quietly blocking your progress and profit. It's a sign that you are standing on the edge of expansion and the discomfort means that you are growing. But if you want to build a financially thriving business that creates impact, you must let go of fear and step into the version of you who handles success.
