Personal Updates:

Hey ,

A couple of things are happening that I'm excited about😍😍😍

1. If you're trying to figure out which niche you should play in, I just published the Niche Mastery Method course, and it's currently free. Start it here.
2. In partnership with the Lincolnshire Black Community Network, we had a Canva Design Workshop last Friday, the 26th of April. And it was so good to be back to facilitating physical workshops since I paused sometime in 2021.
3. Canva for Business Growth Workshop is coming to Leicester. In collaboration with 9jaFayre, I will be at Braunstone Town Council by the end of this month. If you know anyone who should be there, please send them here.

All right! Here's your inspiring newsletter for this week. And it's particularly for those of you who may be battling the fear of failure in some way right now...

How to Handle the Fear of Failure at Work (Part 2)

All negative experiences have positive benefits!

Last week, we explored how extracting lessons from negative experiences like failure can help us overcome repeating the same patterns. If you did not get to see that, you can take a look at the entire archive here.

Today, I want to move this conversation further...

Intentionally Pull Out Inspiration from Other People's Stories and Experiences

Another powerful tactic for overcoming fear of failure at work (even fear generally) is what's known as "symbolic modeling."

It's about surrounding yourself with inspiration and possible role models.

In the late 1970s, psychologist Albert Bandura demonstrated this by showing that children with a fear of dogs could overcome that fear by repeatedly watching videos of people playing with dogs without fear.

The more different people they saw modeling this fearless behavior, the more effective it was at helping the children conquer their own doggy phobias.

You can apply this same principle to your fear of failure.

We often think we're the only ones struggling with fear and failure, but trust me, you are so not alone!

The general idea here is that you can overcome your fears by exposing yourself to examples of other people confronting and conquering those same fears.

This is why you see inspirational/motivational talk works.

The "aspire to perspire" is not so much a joke.

Actively seek out stories, books, videos, blog posts - any examples of people confronting their fears of failure head-on and emerging successful on the other side.

Join communities (like mine!) where you can engage with others working through similar struggles.

Seeing diverse role models resolve their fears, again and again will help rewire your brain's instinctive fear response.

Which brings me to the last tip...

Reframe Fear as a Challenge

When you see someone do something you're afraid of doing, what do you say to yourself?

When you view fear as a threat, something you should "never" do, our bodies go into battle mode - even temporarily.

But what if you could train your mind to see fear as an exciting challenge to overcome, rather than something to run away from?

Our minds don't actually distinguish between what's real and what's imagined; they just react to the perceived threat with a fight, freeze, or flight response designed to keep us safe from potential harm.

So when you feel those familiar pangs of fear at work...

Your boss is approaching...

Your 'adversary' is going to join the meeting...

Instead of retreating, visualise it as a puzzle to solve, a deficiency to correct.

That mental shift can unlock capabilities you didn't know you had.

• What's the core issue you need to solve or problem you need to tackle?

Reframing the fear as a puzzle to critically analyse and dismantle will engage the analytical, problem-solving abilities of your brain - converting that panicked response into a cool, capable mentality for handling the challenge head-on.

The Choice Is Yours

Fear of failure is incredibly common, my friend.

It can breed self-doubt, halt progress, even cause you to compromise your values just to avoid potential embarrassment or setbacks.

But you have the power to break free from those constraints.

With the right tools and mindset shifts, you can use that fear as fuel to propel you towards the meaningful goals that matter most to you.

So what's it going to be?

Will you let the fear of failure keep you stuck?

Or are you ready to break the frame and create the life you truly want?

The path forward won't be easy, I know, but you've got this.

And if you need an understanding guide, one who has walked that road themselves—I'm just a message away.

Until then, keep that brave heart of yours beating strongly.

I'll be rooting for your success every step of the way.

In fact, any time you need a reminder, simply scroll to this part and look at this final phrase below

Live courageously,

Dayo Samuel 💯