Why The Fear of Making Mistakes is Holding You Back And Is The Greatest Mistake You Are Making

Many people are afraid of making mistakes when they take part in sports.  You may be so terrified of making a mistake that you are reluctant of trying something new or developing a skill. This could be because you’re scared of doing something wrong and hurting yourself. It may be that you’re afraid of embarrassing yourself in front of others or worrying about what people may think of you. 

However, stopping yourself from giving it a go, going through new experiences, and learning new skills is holding you back from unlocking your true potential and this my friend is the greatest mistake that you are making!

When you shy away from trying something that is out of your comfort zone, you’re limiting your own potential and your own ability to improve your performance. 

It also prevents you from performing at your best.  Who knows what you can achieve if you are willing to try a new way of doing things? 

The brain learns from repetition so if you aren’t practicing a skill, you can’t reinforce it in your mind. Every time you stop yourself from doing something in fear of making a mistake, you are not allowing yourself to build up that skill.

Mistakes tell the brain that things aren’t working and it naturally works with the body to find a way that does work but our overthinking interrupts the process of the brain communicating with the body to improve the skill.

You are denying your potential the opportunity to excel because you believe you are protecting yourself from fear, embarrassment, and injury. Avoiding the very task that you need to work on to get better, is hindering the progression that you need to take your performance to the next level.

I am going to be honest here, you are just hiding behind that story you have been telling yourself. The one that says that you are not good enough or that you want to do it but your body won’t let you.

 You know you can do well when you are safe and comfortable but if you want to compete with others at your level, you need to start making mistakes fast. The faster you make mistakes, the quicker your brain can work with your body to find a way to make the skill happen and happen consistently.

Virtually every great athlete has had to get out of their comfort zone to find out their zone of excellence so that they can progress and perform better than their competitors. 

Sure, you can go to training and just do what you know you can do well, but will that truly fulfill you? 

Will you be truly happy?

Will you achieve your best ability by just playing it safe? 

The answer is NO!

Shying away from trying something new out of fear of making a mistake is the greatest mistake you can make and the biggest barrier to you tapping into your unlimited potential.