The Fear No One Talks About

A lot of people talk about being afraid of failure in business.

But the truth is - sometimes the bigger fear is actually….success.

Not the idea of success. That’s the exciting part.

But what it brings: visibility, responsibility, change - and the terrifying feeling of not being worthy of it.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

– Marianne Williamson

When I first heard that quote, I kind of rolled my eyes.

Then I watched it happen in real life…

To me. To my clients. To friends who suddenly had the money, the time, the freedom…

…and started quietly sabotaging it.

💥 The Fear of Success Is Real (and Proven)

A study published in Psychological Reports found that some people fear success, because it comes with pressure, higher expectations, and the possibility of being “found out” as a fraud.

Another research paper in the Journal of College Student Development identified that high-achievers often unconsciously limit themselves due to internal beliefs about what success “should” look like - or whether they’re even allowed to have it.

This shows up as:

✔️ Procrastination

✔️ Undercharging

✔️ Quitting just before the breakthrough

✔️ Staying in “learning mode” forever.

Any of these sound familiar?

💸 The Lottery Winner Effect

Here’s a real-world example that’s hard to ignore:

A study by the National Endowment for Financial Education found that 70% of lottery winners go broke within just a few years. Why?

Because if your identity hasn’t caught up with your income, your brain will find a way to burn it all down.

And it’s not just lottery winners.

Athletes. Entrepreneurs. Even early-stage business owners. They finally get traction after months (or years) of effort.

The pieces are coming together….And yet - a quiet fear creeps in.

“What if I can’t keep this up?”

“What if I’m not ready for this?”

So they shrink. Or stall. Or start over again just to stay in the familiar struggle.

How It Showed Up For Me…

I didn’t grow up with money. We weren’t poor, but things were tight - and I learned early on that money was something you had to work really hard for, and even then, it didn’t always stick around.

So when I started earning really well in my first business, it felt amazing….but also very unfamiliar. A few great months in, and suddenly I found myself pulling back and overthinking every decision.

I was scared. Scared that if I kept growing, I’d outgrow my life. Scared people would judge me - or worse, that I’d mess it all up.

But underneath it all? I realised I didn’t fully believe I deserved the ease I had created. So I started sabotaging it. Quietly. Subtly. Almost like I was trying to shrink back to what felt “normal.”

💡 So What Can You Do About It?

(before you find yourself in this situation)

Here’s a 3-step switch to move from fear of success to readiness for it:

Normalize Your Upper Limits

Bestselling author Gay Hendricks coined the term “Upper Limit Problem” - the idea that we all have an internal thermostat for how much success, love, or happiness we allow ourselves to feel before we unconsciously sabotage it.

Start noticing:

-When you slow down after a win

-When you make money and feel guilt, or fear losing it

-When things get easy and you look for a new struggle

Just naming this is powerful. Awareness breaks the autopilot.

Anchor the New Identity Ask yourself:

“What would someone who already owns this level of success believe about themselves?”

Then act from that place - even if it feels awkward at first.

This is identity alignment.

Example: If you want to believe “I’m a confident entrepreneur,” then you might start saying no to clients who drain you - or charge based on value, not time.

Get Clear on What Scares You About Success

Grab your journal and answer these:

-What would change if I got everything I wanted?

-Who might be uncomfortable with my success?

-What fears come up when I picture life actually working?

You may find hidden beliefs like: “I’ll be alone,” “They’ll think I’ve changed,” “I’ll mess it up eventually.”

Once it’s visible, it’s fixable.

Final Thought: Success doesn’t just require skill. It requires capacity - to hold more, be seen more, and to believe more about yourself.

And that’s not a switch you flip once. It’s one you flip again and again….until you become the version of you who can hold everything you once dreamed of.

You don’t need to fear success.

You just need to get ready for it.

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