How Unlocking Our Nonconscious Can Help Overcome Fear of Failure
Fear of failure—an experience so common, it almost feels like it’s woven into our DNA. Many of us struggle with this feeling every day, whether we’re aware of it or not. As CEO of Openmind, the psychometric assessment tool, I’ve seen firsthand how our hidden, nonconscious attitudes impact not just our daily decisions but our very sense of what’s possible. Our Openmind tool delves into the often overlooked aspects of personality, measuring both conscious and nonconscious attitudes in a way that reveals deeper layers of self-understanding. And it turns out, those hidden layers can play a surprisingly big role in overcoming the fear of failure.
This article is about taking an honest look at those hidden, nonconscious fears we all have and understanding how they can limit us. Through self-reflection and exploration of our nonconscious, we can gain the tools we need to overcome that fear and embrace a new perspective on failure.
Fear of Failure: Why Does It Happen?
Fear of failure is rooted in our natural desire to avoid pain. Evolutionarily speaking, failing meant risking our survival, so our brains developed mechanisms to keep us safe from risky situations. In modern life, though, this protective instinct often turns against us. We end up fearing not physical harm but psychological discomfort—like the embarrassment of not meeting expectations, of being judged by others, or of disappointing ourselves.
Our fear of failure is a byproduct of this innate survival mechanism, but it’s layered with personal experiences, societal expectations, and the way we’ve learned to see ourselves. This fear operates on two levels. On the one hand, we have the conscious fear—where we actively worry about what might go wrong. But on the other hand, there’s a deeper, often more powerful force: the nonconscious fear of failure that lurks beneath our awareness. This nonconscious fear drives us to avoid situations we don’t consciously understand and, without realizing it, sabotages our potential.
How Openmind Unlocks the Nonconscious
The Openmind psychometric assessment is designed to go beyond traditional personality tests by assessing both explicit (conscious) and implicit (nonconscious) attitudes. Explicit attitudes are the beliefs we’re aware of; for example, I might consciously think that I’m confident in my job. Implicit attitudes, however, are trickier. They’re the automatic responses we have that come from a deeper, often unexamined place—our nonconscious. This is where our deeper fears and biases live.
With Openmind, we look at how these implicit responses compare to explicit beliefs. Take, for example, a statement like, “I trust my ability to succeed.” Consciously, I might agree with this, believing I’m a confident person. But my implicit response might indicate a hesitation or doubt that I’m not even aware of. This discrepancy between conscious and nonconscious beliefs is where our real growth can begin. When we recognize our nonconscious fears, we can start to address them head-on.
Nonconscious Beliefs: The True Gatekeepers of Success
Our nonconscious attitudes can be like an invisible hand guiding our choices. They shape our responses to new opportunities, how we interpret setbacks, and even how willing we are to take risks. Here’s a simple example: imagine you’re presented with a challenging project at work. Consciously, you know it’s a good opportunity, but something holds you back. That “something” might be a nonconscious belief that you’re not capable enough, that you don’t deserve success, or that failure will somehow reflect poorly on you.
In my experience, these nonconscious beliefs are the true gatekeepers of success. Our explicit beliefs can say one thing, but our implicit beliefs might tell us something entirely different, holding us back in ways we don’t even notice. For many of us, the fear of failure isn’t so much about the failure itself as it is about our nonconscious beliefs that we’re not capable or worthy of success. By bringing these hidden beliefs to light, we can better understand what’s stopping us from fully committing to our goals.
Real-Life Applications: How Confronting Nonconscious Fears Transforms Behavior
I’ve worked with many people who have used Openmind to dig into these hidden beliefs. Take, for instance, a colleague who used to shy away from any project that involved public speaking. Consciously, she told herself that she just didn’t like being in front of people. But when she used Openmind to assess her implicit attitudes, she discovered a nonconscious belief that she didn’t have anything worthwhile to say. This was surprising to her because, in her explicit beliefs, she felt confident and capable. Once she realized this hidden belief, she was able to confront it directly. She started working on affirming her value and practicing her public speaking in low-stakes environments. In time, she not only overcame her fear of public speaking but found that she actually enjoyed it.
Another client realized he had been sabotaging his chances at promotion. Although he believed he was ready to move up, his nonconscious beliefs were holding him back. He had an implicit fear of taking on more responsibility and felt undeserving of success. By recognizing and addressing these fears, he was able to shift his mindset, become more assertive, and eventually secure the promotion he had always wanted.
These examples show the power of exploring our nonconscious. When we bring our hidden fears to light, we can take practical steps to change our behavior and rewrite the script that’s been limiting us.
Overcoming Nonconscious Barriers to Success
So, how do we start reconciling our implicit and explicit beliefs to overcome nonconscious fears? Here are some strategies that have worked well for myself and others.
Practice Self-Reflection and Honest Assessment
Start by reflecting on areas where you feel stuck or fearful. Ask yourself, “Why does this scare me?” Write down your responses without censoring yourself. Be brutally honest about what you find because this is the first step to unearthing hidden beliefs.Leverage Psychometric Tools Like Openmind
Tools like Openmind provide a structured way to explore nonconscious beliefs. Use them to compare your explicit and implicit responses and take note of any discrepancies. These discrepancies are clues to your hidden fears. Remember, there’s no judgment in discovering these fears; it’s about gaining insight.Challenge Negative Implicit Beliefs
Once you’ve identified a negative nonconscious belief, challenge it. For instance, if you have an implicit belief that “I’m not capable enough,” remind yourself of your past accomplishments and look for evidence that disproves this belief. This can be difficult at first, but with practice, you can train your mind to reject these limiting beliefs.Focus on Building Resilience
Fear of failure often stems from a lack of resilience. When we’re nonconsciously convinced that we can’t handle failure, we shy away from risks. Building resilience—by embracing failure as a learning experience and celebrating small wins—can help you rewire your nonconscious response to challenges.Engage in Visualization and Positive Reinforcement
Visualization can be a powerful tool for changing nonconscious beliefs. Picture yourself succeeding in a situation that usually brings you fear. Engage all your senses in the visualization and imagine the positive emotions that come with success. Over time, this can start shifting your nonconscious attitudes toward confidence.
Benefits of Addressing Nonconscious Fears
When we address our nonconscious fears, we start to unlock a new level of self-confidence and resilience. Our conscious mind might want to achieve great things, but unless our nonconscious is on board, we’ll always feel held back. By aligning our nonconscious and conscious beliefs, we’re able to pursue our goals with greater clarity and focus.
This alignment brings several benefits:
Improved Confidence: Knowing you’ve confronted your hidden fears makes you more confident and willing to take on challenges.
Increased Resilience: With nonconscious fears addressed, setbacks don’t hit as hard. You learn to see them as opportunities to learn and grow.
More Authentic Relationships: When we’re not held back by hidden fears, we’re able to be more genuine with others, which improves our relationships at work and at home.
Greater Self-Awareness: Exploring our nonconscious brings us closer to our true selves. We gain a clearer picture of our strengths and weaknesses and learn to work with them rather than against them.
Final Thoughts: A New Perspective on Failure
Unlocking our nonconscious doesn’t make fear of failure disappear overnight, but it does make us more resilient in the face of challenges. It allows us to recognize failure as a stepping stone to success rather than an endpoint. By bringing our hidden beliefs to light, we give ourselves the power to change our story and approach challenges from a place of empowerment rather than fear.
For anyone who’s struggled with fear of failure, I encourage you to start exploring your nonconscious beliefs. Whether through tools like Openmind or personal reflection, dig into those hidden attitudes that may be holding you back. The journey may not be easy, but the rewards—a stronger, more resilient, and fearless you—are more than worth it.