Everything You Need To Know About The Fear Of Success As A Christian Millennial.

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

Have you been allowing the fear of success to hold you back? How do you even know you have the fear of success as a Christian millennial? Did you know it is a very real thing? Anyway, join me as we discuss it and learn the signs, causes, and how to overcome it. But first, let’s define what the fear of success is.

Definition of the fear of success.
Signs that you are battling with the fear of success.
Where does the fear of success stem from?
How to overcome the fear of success.
Conclusion

Definition of the fear of success.

Unfortunately, the fear of success comes from the expectation of backlash you could receive from obtaining success. Fear of success is the overwhelming anxiety you get when you get close to the brink of success that you end up self-sabotaging. It’s not that you fear success it’s just that you get overwhelmed by the other things that follow success which are

Social obligations. This can be overwhelming especially if you are an introvert. The thought of having extra responsibilities and attending social events because of your net worth can cause you to self-sabotage when success comes your way.
Backlash. You could be afraid of losing your friends because of your newfound success. And this might cause you to hold yourself back. Are you a people pleaser? Are you afraid of being alone? These two things could cause you to look for ways to avoid success when you get so close to it.
Attention. Again if you are a loner or an introvert and hate attention, you might find that you are afraid of success.
Change. Are you afraid that you might change for the worst when you become successful? Maybe you are afraid that the people around you might change. If this is the case you might again look for ways to self-destruct just to keep the peace and stay in your comfort zone.

Signs that you are battling with the fear of success.

Procrastination. Do you put things off until the very last minute? You could be battling the fest of success. And the reason for this is that when you postpone things and get to them at the very last minute you tend not to give your best. After all, the goal when you are short of time is to complete the task and not necessarily give your best. Often times procrastination hides behind a lack of motivation. However, the reality is that it could simply be the fear of success manifesting. Think about this, why would you choose to do things at the last minute? Could it be that deep down you know your potential and are afraid of stepping and reaching your true God-given potential?

Setting very low goals. Do you tend to set goals that you know you will not need to strive to achieve them? You might even convince yourself that you do this because you are a realist. But could you set low goals because you are afraid of success? Maybe you don’t want to grind hard enough because you don’t want the complications that come with being successful

Giving up. Are you the kind of person who rarely gets to the finish line? Are you known for starting something and not completing it? Well, I would like to propose the thought that you could be struggling with the fear of success. Maybe deep down you know your potential yet you are afraid of unleashing it.

Self-destructive behavior. If you are this kind of person, you could be dealing with substance abuse or anger issues. You don’t stick to one job for a long time. And when it seems like you have stayed long enough, you find ways to self-destruct that warrant your boss firing you. You could even find that you say, ‘ I don’t know what happened. Things seemed to be going well.’

Perfectionism. This can disguise as a good thing. But if it causes you never to start something because you feel you are not ready, you might be dealing with the fear of success. Could it be the 3xcuse is because you don’t want to experience true and lasting success? Do you find yourself convincing yourself that you still don’t have what it takes to run the business yet you have been researching it for years? Or maybe you are afraid of scaling it and the excuse you give is that you don’t think you will handle it.

Where does the fear of success stem from?

Background.

Your background could hold you back from success. So let’s say you come from a lower middle-class family but have the potential and capability to create wealth. You might find that because you don’t want to lose the friends you have had for so long, you might opt to settle for mediocrity. The other example is that you might be afraid of the exposure that comes with success with people digging up your past. And because of shame and guilt, you might decide to settle for normal yet God created you to stand out.

Your background can hold you back from success. Moses struggled with this. Although he knew that he had leadership qualities, he felt like his past would catch up with him and was not willing to go deliver the Israelites when God called him. He tried to make excuses that he did not know how to talk. In actuality, he was afraid of the consequences of his actions which was killing an Egyptian.

Imposter syndrome.

Sometimes feelings of inadequacy could hold you back from reaching your full potential and obtaining the success that you are capable of. You could have thoughts like ‘what if they realize I am a fake?’ What if I am unable to replicate this success? You might even try to convince yourself that there are others who are better off. Imposter syndrome has hindered so many people from achieving their goals. Do you feel like you are not enough?

Again the feelings of inadequacy overwhelmed Moses so much so that he did not think he had what it took to lead the Israelites out of captivity. Jeremiah too felt inadequate because of his age that he even reminded God of his age.

Past experiences.

Maybe in the past, you were labeled a show-off when you achieved success. Maybe people always made fun of you for getting good grades as a child. This could lead you to fear success since you faced negative backlash. Or maybe because you are a woman people have labeled you as masculine because you are a high achiever. This could cause you to slow down especially if you also want to start a family. You might dim your shine so as not to intimidate a man.

You might even have people tell you to slow down as men will shy away from marrying you. Have you ever halted from making a decision simply because you feel like people will judge you for it? Maybe you opt out of getting a Ph.D. because your MBA was frowned upon. Or maybe people feel like since you earn so much they don’t know how to handle you and because of that, you decide to tone down your drive and ambitions.

Misinterpretation.

Have you ever heard people telling you that you will often go through loss before any major breakthrough? This could hinder you from embracing success and in fact, it could lead you to fear success. After all, who wants to experience loss before every success? The fear of success can especially be high when you don’t like change. This notion of extreme loss and pain before success can lead to the fear of success.

The book of Job is one that talks about extreme loss before success. I struggled with this for a long time. And I could not understand why I had to go through loss to gain. Can you imagine what Job had to go through before God restored him?

The pressure of keeping up.

Because of the responsibilities and the hard work involved with maintaining success, you might feel like there is no need for you to get to the level of success that warrants commitment.

How to overcome the fear of success.

Self-discovery will help you overcome the fear of success.

As a child of God, it is imperative that you discover your identity. Inadequacy, self-sabotage, fear of being alone and feelings of being incomplete all stem from a lack of identity. Doubt and low self-esteem also stem from a lack of identity. Until you discover who you really are, you will not maximize your full potential. Your self-worth is rooted in your identity.

Do you believe in yourself? Do you believe that you have what it takes to make new friends should the old ones leave you? Are you comfortable being by yourself? Who do you believe you are? And to discover your identity it is imperative that you embrace solitude and practice stillness. Learning to enjoy your own company will help you overcome all these inadequacies. As you spend time with yourself you will learn to celebrate your uniqueness. You will also learn to dream and reinvent yourself. And in so doing you will find that you want to unleash your potential.

Sometimes the only reason you are afraid of your potential is that you have not learned to find joy in your own company. Those that learn to embrace solitude, end up doing extraordinary things. This is because they realize that it is okay to be alone and have no time for people pleasing and hence get to achieve their goals. Again, there is so much power in solitude. Please note that solitude is not loneliness. Solitude is simply recognizing that you’d rather be alone than with those that stifle your growth.

Solitude will also help you be okay with the negative backlash that comes with success. Discovering your identity in Christ will help you overcome the fear of success. The more you get to know who you are, the more confident you get about your potential. And it is in Christ that you will gain the realization that you can do all things through Him who strengthens you.

Find your identity and you will become a force to reckon with. Practice stillness and meditation. You will fall in love with yourself when you learn to meditate and be still. In doing so, you will find that you don’t need other peoples approval or acceptance. And with this dead weight off your shoulder, you will be able to soar to greater heights.

As a woman, self-discovery will help you realize that you don’t need a man to complete you and that the person God has for you will be comfortable with your ambitions. You don’t need to dim your light to settle down. And you don’t need to live in mediocrity to start a family. Discovering your identity will help you silence the noise and external pressure and this will help you forge your own path with God. It is okay to be ambitious and desire success.

Get professional help.

Since the fear of success is deeply rooted and associated with childhood trauma, seeking professional help will help you identify the root of your fear of success. A therapist will help you learn the best ways for you to manage it and therefore experience fulfillment in your life. The fear of success leads to dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, pressure, anxiety, and low expectation. And to avoid all this having a therapist is key. Let me ask you this, on your deathbed would you rather say that you lived your life to the fullest or say you regret not living up to your full potential?

Remember the parable of the talent? You will give an account of what you did with the talents that God gave you. Don’t be embarrassed of seeking help. It does not mean that you are a failure. It just means that you have high self-awareness and that you are willing to take action.

Silence the inner critic

Silencing the inner critic will help you overcome the imposter syndrome. And to silence the inner critic you will need to replace the negative thoughts with positive ones. This could look like you speaking out loud the positive affirmations when the inner critic rears its ugly head and minimizing the impact it has on your life. Finding these positive affirmations is so easy. Find scriptures that enforce your identity and your strengths. And again discover who God says you are and what He has given you the power to do. Discovering your authority will also help you overcome the fear of success. The realization that God is always by your side will also help you embrace success and not pay attention to the backlash.

Conclusion

Don’t allow the fear of success to hold you back from reaching your full potential. Your past is in the past and it is time for you to move forward. God redeems. He redeemed Rahab who lived an indecent lifestyle and Saul, who was a murderer. There is nothing He can’t redeem. Don’t allow the enemy to lie to you that your past will be used against you. And even if it is, God will give you the strategy to ensure that your past works out for your good. God wants you to live an abundant life. That is why He sent Jesus to die for you.

Regardless of how big the goal is, don’t be afraid to go for it. You don’t have to have it all figured out. Just remember that God will help you if you ask Him for help. Aim for the sky and don’t allow the sky to limit you.. Aim higher. And remember, higher is waiting.

Everything You Need To Know About The Fear Of Success As A Christian Millennial.

Table of Contents

Definition of the fear of success.

Signs that you are battling with the fear of success.