A few years back, I came down with a severe case of the dreaded what-ifs.

What if I launch this product and no one buys it?

What if I write this newsletter and people hate it?

What if I pour my heart into this project and it fails spectacularly?

Every decision felt like a potential catastrophe waiting to happen.

I found myself terrified of failing. I mean, downright paralysed by the fear of making mistakes and looking like an idiot.

I remember a particularly uncomfortable situation where I was about to give a presentation at the Sydney Fringe Festival.

Now I spend a good portion of my time delivering keynotes and presentations all around the world, but this time, I was asked to speak about something deeply personal—my journey with IVF.

The thought of opening up about such a vulnerable part of my life, to a room full of strangers, felt terrifying.

What if I couldn’t do it? What if I stumbled over my words?

As the day approached, my anxiety skyrocketed. I almost cancelled.

But then I remembered something a mentor once told me: “Failure is not fatal”.

Now I’m not a big fan of “quotes of the day”, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense – what if I stopped seeing failure as the end of the world and started seeing it as an inevitable part of showing up in the world?

So I decided to push through the anxiety.

I showed up at the festival, heart pounding in my chest. I stumbled a bit, and my voice definitely shook in a few places, but I got through it.

More importantly, people connected with my journey.

They waited to speak with me after the show, sharing their own heartfelt experiences and thanking me for my honesty.

That presentation transformed my perspective on failure.

Here’s the thing: fear of failure can be paralysing. It keeps you from taking risks, trying new things, and contributing your insights.

One of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned is that our failures often become the most compelling part of our journey.

Think about any great story you’ve heard. The hero always faces challenges, right?

It’s their setbacks and how they overcame them that make their journey inspiring.

If you’re battling the fear of failure, here’s what I want you to do:

First, reframe your mindset.

Instead of seeing failure as a dead end, see it as a detour—a chance to learn and improve.

Every time you stumble, you’re gathering valuable data that will help you succeed the next time you face a challenge.

Second, embrace vulnerability.

Share your challenges with your audience. You’d be surprised at how much people appreciate honesty and relatability.

When I started talking about my own obstacles, I found that my audience connected with me on a much deeper level.

They didn’t see me as someone who had it all figured out, but as someone who was navigating the same challenges they were.

Lastly, celebrate your efforts, not just your successes.

Give yourself credit for trying, for putting yourself out there, for taking risks. What would you regret the most – trying and failing, or not trying at all?

If you’re feeling stuck because you’re afraid to fail, take a deep breath and remind yourself that failure is not fatal.

It’s not the end of the road, but a necessary part of the journey.

Embrace it, learn from it, and keep moving forward.

You are capable of amazing things, and each step, even the missteps, brings you closer to your goals.

Don’t let the fear of failure hold you back from making an impact.