After my senior year in high school, I quit playing volleyball.
It was a shock to many of my coaches, teammates, and parents. Mostly because I was destined to play in college, somewhere.
There was pressure coming from all directions to be successful at the next level. It wasn’t a matter of if I was going to play in college, it was where.
Looking back, I can see how clearly one thing was controlling me (and how it controls many of the athletes I work with today!)
What is it? Fear of success.
You’d be surprised how many female athletes are held back by the fear of their own success.
Personally, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to live up to the expectation that others had of me in their minds.
And it wasn’t until I embraced and moved past this fear that I was able to finish out my career as a successful (and happy!) collegiate volleyball player.
In this episode, I dive into what this fear is, how to spot it, and mindset shifts to help athletes move through it.
What is Fear of Success?
First, we need to examine what “success” is in the eyes of many female athletes.
Success could mean:
- Being good (and maybe better than teammates/opponents)
- Getting recognition
- Achieving new levels or playing on higher teams
- Being a bigger contributor on the team (scoring the most points, making the plays, etc)
These all sound like good things, right? They are, but in many female athlete’s minds, these successes can also mean...
- Being expected to live up to a new standard, and fear of failure if the expectation is not met
- Jealousy from teammates
- More work
- More pressure to perform
It can feel overwhelming and cause athletes to shut down before they even start, stopping them in their tracks and preventing them from reaching potential.
What Does Fear of Success Look Like?
For many athletes that struggle with fear of success, it can look like:
- Hesitating:
- Not giving their all
- Quitting/Losing Motivation
- Procrastination/Avoidance of Training
Strategies to Overcome Fear of Success:
Much of overcoming this fear includes shifting athlete’s mindsets and creating new thoughts and stories around their success. Here are three ways:
1. Realize that more damage is done by avoiding success
2. Understand that being great doesn’t mean being perfect
3. Ask Yourself: What story do you want to write?
There you have it. The fear of success is very real for many female athletes. It’s one I’ve battled as an athlete and still struggle with from time to time as a business owner and entrepreneur.
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