It seems strange to be writing this post about the pandemic. After all, haven’t most people largely put it behind them and just got on with their lives?
While it might seem that way on the surface, the reality is that the events of the last few years left lasting marks on almost everyone. While some were able to galvanize themselves and use it as a catalyst to create change and all sorts of inspiring opportunities in their lives, it had very different effects for many others.
Disrupted routines, economic instability and the uncertainty caused by feeling forced to obey seemingly senseless mandates and restrictions that often defied logic have led to heightened apprehension and risk aversion.
Practically, this manifests as self-doubt and chronic fear of failure, keeping people stuck, sad and unable to move forwards in their lives.
Personally, these few years were an incredible time. Locally, we came together as a community, leading to many amazing new friendships and connections. We increased our self and inter-reliance, had a lot of fun and came out much stronger than before.
My business also took off, as I was already working mostly online and many people were pushed into self-reflection and choosing to do something about their health, relationships, work and other aspects of life where they had been stuck, or just going through the motions.
So, I was in a great position to serve them and many people had amazing breakthroughs during that time.
However, I was still affected in many ways by the uncertainty and the challenges of standing up for myself and what I believe to be right, in the face of the onslaught of the collective madness that gripped the world.
I experienced self-doubt and indecision often.
Whether I was doing the right things, or enough of them?
And there were several months where my wife experienced burn out due to the effort she was putting into everything that was going on. This meant that I had to step into a carer role for a while, in addition to keeping my work and the family going.
But I was well equipped to move through these challenges with the processes and practices that I use to balance my energy, process my emotions and move towards my vision for my life.
I also took the opportunity to have sessions with other practitioners and join group sessions and programs to support my journey.
I even resolved my own health challenges, including almost completely healing my deteriorating eyesight, as well as breathing difficulties and two debilitating digestive issues, GERD and silent reflux.
My healing process including becoming much more physically fit and I now have amazing energy, feeling more vital than I have done since my early 30’s.
Overall, my family and I are in a far better position than we were in during 2019. We have developed a deep and beautiful capacity to face life’s challenges with lightness and courage.
But I know that many people are still struggling to take their lives forwards. So I want to explore why fear of failure and self-doubt have been amplified by the impact of the last few years events, as well as what you can do if it’s affecting you.
Uncertainty and Doubt
The pandemic introduced a level of uncertainty that many had not experienced before. Plans were put on hold, opportunities vanished, and the future became shrouded in doubt.
This uncertainty has made many people more risk averse and unable to pursue new ventures, as the fear of potential failure looms larger than ever. This knocked a lot of people off track, as they were focused on the day to day essentials of living, rather than their plans.
Although the events are over, the mindset remains for many people. This is a great opportunity to remind yourself what’s important in your life and start, or continue moving towards your own vision for your life.
I recommend getting clear on your personal values and using them to generate a vision that is aligned and fulfilling to you. You can then use this as a regular reminder of what’s important in your life, keeping you on track.
Another massive shift, which still remains both psychologically and physically in the world is the economic instability.
Job losses, business closures and financial challenges for self-employed people have left many feeling fear about their financial situation.
Unfortunately, this causes people to experience an energetic contraction, leading to risk aversion, scrabbling to retain what they have, instead of taking measured risks in their career or entrepreneurial endeavours.
Add to this, the fears around AI and it’s implications for jobs, Central Bank Digital Currencies, inflation and the effects of war, it’s no wonder that people are feeling overwhelmed and fearful of putting a foot wrong.
However, for those that are able to adapt and pivot, these are incredible times to generate real prosperity for themselves and their loved ones.
It’s well known that ventures that succeed during times like these are the ones that will absolutely thrive as time goes by.
This is an incredible time to overcome the paralysing fear of failure and take measured risks towards achieving your dreams.
If this feels like too much, the first step is to dig deep into your limiting beliefs and emotional blocks around money, career and your own ability. The best way that I know to do this is still using EFT and Matrix Reimprinting to identify the beliefs and then release the emotional attachment to them, so that you can develop more empowering beliefs around money and your career.
Isolation, Lack of Support and Mental Health
Social isolation and reduced contact with others caused many to experience a reduction in their support network. We often overlook the effect of isolation, but it is incredibly powerful.
We have evolved as tribal creatures and typically, we seek guidance and reassurance from others in our endeavours. Being cut off from this can make it to navigate challenges and dare to step out of our comfort zones.
This lack of support makes the fear of failure worse, as people struggle to navigate challenges without the encouragement and backing of their peers.
While mandated social isolation is largely over, the psychological and emotional effects remain for many. A particularly insidious aspect of this is that people were deliberately cut off from their friends and peers and encouraged to follow the “experts” that knew best, disconnecting them from their intuition and being able to do what was right for them.
Therefore, making real world connections again is important for many people. Of course, even this can bring up fears, anxieties etc and tapping techniques are incredible to resolve this.
Speaking of anxiety, the last few years have had a huge impact on mental health as a whole and many individuals developed new behaviour patterns as a reaction to the traumatic experiences and life changes that they faced.
Increased stress, anxiety, and depression, among other patterns can further exacerbate the fear of failure and self-doubts. Mental health struggles make it difficult to cope with setbacks and view yourself as capable of overcoming challenges.
Meta-Consciousness offers a framework for understanding these symptoms as intelligent responses from the body and mind, enabling you to take a wholistic approach to healing, involving physical, mental, emotional and spiritual elements.
The pressure to conform to often nonsensical rules and dictats, relentlessly promoted by the media and social media channels has intensified the fear of judgment and criticism for many. This also leads to increased fear of failure and self-doubt as people worry about what other people think and the potential social consequences of making mistakes.
Again, this has exacerbated unhealthy coping mechanisms such as people pleasing or going against your own morals and beliefs to fall in line with others.
Having a clear vision for your life, in alignment with who you are is a key step to moving beyond this and EFT and similar techniques are powerful ways to become confident and trusting in yourself, rather than trapped by the judgement of others.
Experiencing Failure as Feedback
To overcome the fear of failure and self-doubt that has been heightened over the last few years, it’s essential to allow yourself to be vulnerable so that you can connect to your courage and potential to change your life and make a difference in the world.
Recognize that failure is not a reflection of your worth or potential.
Instead, see your setbacks as opportunities for transformation. If possible, connect with a supportive network that uplifts and encourages you to overcome challenges.
If this resonates with you, I want to let you know that I’m shortly going to be offering an in-depth workshop series to a small, focused group.
This training is going to be specifically on overcoming fear of failure and self doubt so that you can move forwards in your aligned endeavours with courage.
You will also create a powerful vision and objectives for your life that are exciting and inspiring to you.
This is essential, so that you aren’t just going through the motions, trying to push yourself towards a life that doesn’t resonate with you.
If this could support you to have a more fulfilling and enjoyable life, put your name down on this waiting list and I’ll make sure that you are among the first to know when I announce it.
And, if you are ready for transformation NOW and would like me to guide you, you can book a free call to explore working 1-1 with me here.