Being a full-time professional photographer requires plenty of different skills and a lot of your time and devotion. A fear of failure and “playing it safe” is what prevents many people from starting or developing a successful photography business. In this video, Roberto Blake discusses this fear and gives you some techniques that can help you not just overcome your fear, but make the best out of failure even when it happens.
Roberto starts by mentioning something we’ve all been through: just imagine being infant and learning how to walk. When you were going through this, you failed hundreds of times. You may not remember it, but trust me, you did. : ) But still, you didn’t even think of giving up and you eventually learned how to walk.
So, why does the adult you let the failure hit you so hard that you give up? Let’s be honest: failures happen from day one of our lives, and they always will. But what you need to do is build a mindset that will help you learn from your failures and overcome the unpleasant consequences they might have. Only then will you be able to grow into a successful photography business.
While we’re at success, Roberto lists three things that he believes are its foundation:
- Building a mindset for success and creativity
- Market yourself effectively
- Making money (monetizing your skills)
If you want to be able to develop the three pillars above, you need to get rid of that fear of failure. Look at it as a tool rather than something that will bring you down. A failure can be a great opportunity to grow and to learn something new and to overcome obstacles in the future. Think about it as a “part of the price of power,” as Roberto puts it. Also, try to be realistic about it. Oftentimes the failure is not objectively that hard as it is when you look it through the prism of your emotions.
Now, if you have a family to support, things can be a bit different. And it’s often a big reason to be afraid of failure and taking the risk, because a lot more is at stake. If this is the case with you, as Roberto puts it, “attack the fear of failure with logic and reason.” Think it through and be critical and analytical. Think about the worst case scenario that could happen if you take the risk. If it’s something that’s manageable and just inconvenient, it’s worth the risk it if the reward is substantial.
Remember that failures in life are inevitable and they will happen. It’s okay to feel bad when they do, but don’t let them crush your dreams and make you give up completely. Just remember the baby you who is learning how to walk and doesn’t even think of giving up. Use the failure to your advantage and think of it as an opportunity to grow into a better, more successful self.
[OVERCOME YOUR FEAR OF FAILURE | Roberto Blake]
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