Neil

Fear of success can be seen as a fear of delayed failure: if you succeed in one task you’re sure to be moved right on to a new competitive arena where failure is even more likely.

At this point, you need more efficient ways of working, and you need the cooperation of every part of you. You’ll need to drop the model of self-alienation that you learned as a child—the one that tells you, “You are lazy and need someone to force you to work.” With this belief, you work against yourself, and resentment and fear of failure drain you of the energy needed to achieve your goals effectively and efficiently.

To unlearn this pattern you’ll need to reduce the amount of pain and threat associated with your work. You’ll need to increase the amount of guilt-free play in your schedule, increase the rewards for short periods of quality work, and put yourself in charge of reducing stress and tension.