[hlnx1]

Fear of failure is about the consequences people attach to failing: shame, disappointing others, losing their place or their identity. It can shift athletes from playing to win to playing not to lose.

What it can look like and what tends to help:

• Avoidance: holding back effort so a loss does not feel like a “real” test, or avoiding challenging competitions
• Overly cautious decisions late in games or races
• Mastery-focused goals, about improving yourself rather than only beating others, are linked with lower fear of failure
• Coaches and parents who respond calmly to mistakes help create safer conditions to take risks

Related: choking under pressure.

Have you ever noticed yourself playing safe in a big moment, and what changed it?

[hlnx1]

A useful exercise: write down what you think would happen if you failed in your next competition, and then how likely and how bad each consequence really is. Many fears shrink when they are spelled out.

Then pick one brave action to commit to regardless of the result, such as going with the move at halfway.

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