Are you afraid of success?
Turning fear of failure on its head
We often talk about imposter syndrome in relation to fear of failure: our inner critic telling us we aren’t good enough, everyone will judge us, or we’re going to mess it up.
But what happens when we are good enough, everyone praises us, and we’ve done an amazing job?
Well, that can be just as much of a field day for our inner critic.
Why imposter feelings show up when things are going well
Imposter feelings (as we like to call them) can show up even when things are going well. That’s because they’re all do to with doubting your accomplishments and feeling like a fraud, despite all evidence to the contrary. This can happen regardless of external markers of success or positive feedback.
So when things are going well, you put it down to luck or external factors, rather than your own abilities and efforts. You might feel like you don't deserve the recognition or that you’ve deceived others into thinking you’re more capable than you actually are. These thoughts and feelings can create a persistent fear of being exposed as an imposter.
As we’ve been exploring recently, imposter feelings are particularly prevalent among high achievers and perfectionists. Because they set themselves incredibly high standards, it creates pressure to maintain a high level of success. Which can, of course, intensify feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt—even when they’ve met these standards.
If that’s you, you might think:
“I just got lucky”
“Anyone could have done this”
“It was a fluke”
“I don't deserve this”
“People will find out I'm a fraud”
“I can't keep this level of success”
Of course, that’s your inner critic talking.
Imposter feelings are really common. But if you feel like they are getting too intense or stop you from even trying, you might have a more deep-seated fear of success.
What is fear of success?
Fear of success (aka achievemephobia or atychiphobia if you’re feeling fancy), is an emotional and psychological barrier that can stop you from reaching your full potential and achieving your goals. While fear of failure is a more commonly recognised concept, fear of success is just as significant and can have a profound impact on your life.
Typical signs and behaviours associated with fear of success are:
Self-sabotage: You unconsciously undermine your own efforts to prevent achieving your goals e.g. procrastination or self-sabotage.
Perfectionism: the fear of making mistakes or not living up to self-imposed high standards stops you from taking risks or completing tasks.
Setting low expectations: you deliberately set low goals to avoid the pressure and expectations that come with achieving higher levels of success. This shields you from potential disappointment or feelings of inadequacy.
Fear of change: success often involves change and stepping out of your comfort zone. Fear of success can be rooted in a fear of the unknown or the responsibilities and challenges that come with achieving. As a result, you resist opportunities for growth and stick to familiar and comfortable situations.
Imposter syndrome: as we’ve said, fear of success can be closely intertwined with imposter thoughts and feelings.
How to overcome fear of success
Overcoming fear of success can be a long and personal journey, so there’s no quick fix or one-size-fits-all answer. However, you might find these tips a good place to start:
Recognise and acknowledge the fear: the first step in trying to change is always awareness.
Dig into the underlying beliefs: where does the fear come from? Is it related to your childhood or a past experience? Working with a therapist could be helpful here.
Challenge negative beliefs: it might help to build up evidence of your past successes and how they’ve had a positive impact on your life (e.g. your grades at school helped you get into X uni, where you met amazing friends).
Visualise success: working with manifestation or vision boards can help you mentally prepare for positive outcomes, raising your confidence and appetite for risk.
Set realistic goals and take small steps: build up to the big, scary goals with smaller ones (e.g. starting a conversation on a dating app before plucking up the courage IRL).
Work on self-compassion and self-care: be kind to yourself!
Build a support network: think about which friends, family, co-workers, mentors could provide you with encouragement and guidance. If it’s available to you, you could seek the help of a therapist or coach.
Over to you
Were you aware of the concept of fear of success before reading this? Do you think it’s something that affects you? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.