Manna Monday | investing in challenges

It's a new week, and one of the biggest growth challenges I've had in years past is overcoming the fear of failure. And I'm not sure if you've ever identified with that, this idea of, hey, if I start something, what if? You know, and you fill in the blank. And the fear of failure paralyzes us from a lot of times even starting something. And it's funny, because you, at least I will, meditate on scripture and says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and do not fear, Isaiah 41:10, do not fear I'm with you, 2nd Timothy 1:7, for God hasn't given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind.

And that's all true, that's all good, and that's all pleasing and rewarding to the soul, but the reality is you still have to take action. And if you wanna grow, your growth is typically on the other side of hard. And so what is it in your life? What are you what are you scared of doing that's new? Maybe it's running a half marathon or a certain distance.

Maybe it's starting a project or an idea or a new business. Maybe it's healing a relationship and investing in that space. And what if it doesn't go as planned? Right? So today, I wanna give you some really practical tips to help reframe the fear of failure and help you progress, to make action in maybe some goals and some areas of your life that you're that you wanna invest in without feeling this intense fear of what if I don't do it great?

What if I don't do it perfectly? What if I don't succeed? So let's reframe that. So first point of reference is we have to reframe our failure as feedback. Failure is when we look at the end goal, and we're like, hey, I didn't meet my time, I didn't reach my goal, we should look at the process as the rewarding part of it.

That we grew through the process, and reframe failure as feedback that we learned, we grew through this process. And a lot of times, the joy, what I find, is actually in the process. It's in the training, it's in the trenches. Actually, a lot of times, don't even care about running the race. The race doesn't even matter.

I've learned, I've grown, I've accomplished the task at hand, and I grew through it. So reframing the fear of failure as a process rather than a final event. Take small, calculated risks. You don't have to leap head first into uncertainty. Start with just small steps that challenge your fear, but are manageable.

Right? So like this 1% shift. Build your confidence as you grow. So if we talk about the marathon, don't sign up for a marathon if you've never run before. Sign up for the 5k.

Right? Take small calculated risks and build from there. I would encourage you, something that I like to do, is to redefine your identity. Instead of saying, "I'm afraid of failing," shift your identity and say, "hey, I'm someone who loves to learn and adapt." And so, what's interesting is that your brain will always follow the story you tell it.

Your brain always follows the story that you're saying that you're telling about it. What's the story of your mind? Is it, "hey, I'm scared to fail and fall short," or is it, "I'm someone who loves to learn and adapt and do new things?" Redefine your identity. Surround yourself with people who've done it, who've walked through that space before, and that can encourage you in the process.

And I would say ask yourself the final question. Ask yourself this. What's the worst that could happen? And just play that out in your mind. Alright.

What's the worst that could happen? Let's just say it is the marathon. What's the worst that could happen? Maybe you get injured, you never run the race. Okay?

But what did you learn? The injury will always teach you something about your body. "Hey, there was a weakness," or "I went too hard too fast." Or maybe it's during the race and you failed. What did you learn?

You came out too quick, you need to pace it better. But what is the worst that could happen? And honestly, those two things, those situations related to running is not that bad, because you learned in the process. And so play it out in your mind. What's the worst that could happen?

And then in the end, celebrate the progress, not just the results. Celebrate the progress through the end, not just the end itself. As you look at your life and assess what's next. Alright? If we're not growing, we're not healthy.

So as you grow in the season, don't be scared to start something new. Redefine your fear failure. Make it a joy to adapt and to learn new things, and enjoy the process. Thanks for listening to today's episode.