Fear of success or achievemephobia, often misinterpreted as fear of failure, is a common type of fear wherein a person’s anxiety regarding success may start manifesting as self-sabotaging behaviors.
Few examples of said behaviors could be: procrastinating, setting only small goals for oneself, quitting when close to success and letting go of beneficial opportunities.
There are several reasons why one might be uncomfortable with the idea of success or may even start fearing it. A few of them are listed below:
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Imposter syndrome. It is a state of mind wherein you believe that you are not as good as others think you are or that you are incompetent for the given role. You may believe that your success is due to a stroke of luck.
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Backlash avoidance. Women, in certain cultures, may fear success as it is not consistent with the typical gender expectation. While men may be cheered on for their successes, women could be discouraged.
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Fear of losing connection with certain friends and family. Often when people succeed in life, they may begin to outgrow certain relationships and that change can seem daunting in the beginning.
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Fear of the spotlight. Success often brings the spotlight along with itself and it can be an uncomfortable experience for those who normally shy away from it.
Once you identify what could be a possible cause behind your fear of success, the next step is to understand how you can stop it from holding you back in life. Here are a few tips:
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Explore and identify how your fear of success manifests. Do you procrastinate? Or do you engage in negative self-talk about your abilities? Once you have identified your patterns, you can begin to implement healthy coping strategies every time you are presented with self-sabotaging behavior.
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Push yourself to be uncomfortable. By avoiding the feeling of discomfort, you are perpetuating the fear. Start by doing small activities that make you uncomfortable such as wearing clothes you may normally shy away from.
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Seek professional help if it is negatively impacting your daily life and you are not being able to do anything about it.
Fear of success can severely limit you and your growth, however by identifying and working on it, you can overcome it.
Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.
About MindTribe.in.
MindTribe Founder Dr. Prerna Kohli, India’s eminent psychologist, established the company to leverage the strength of the online to make counseling affordable and accessible to everyone. MindTribe provides counseling, workshops, support groups, forums, and eLearning.
About the Author.
Nataliya Bukalsariya is a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.