Fear of Success vs. Fear of Failure: A Mindset Shift for Enneagram Entrepreneurs
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There are moments in business that make you stop and think: Is this really working?
I had one of those recently. One of those “okay, something has to shift” moments.
Things I’d been doing in my business just weren’t working. At least, not the way I wanted them to.
And when that happens, it’s easy to start questioning everything:
Am I on the right path?
Is this even worth it?
Can I really keep going?
I recently watched a video series called Elevate Your Mindset by online business coach, Ashley Latimer. One of the very first things she shared that stopped me in my tracks:
“There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction.”
I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear that. Because truthfully, I was sitting in that all-too-familiar space between discouragement and doubt.
Something hadn’t worked, and I was tempted to label myself a failure. But that quote helped me reframe the moment. It wasn’t failure—it was redirection.
And then came the bigger realization:
I’m not actually afraid of failure.
I’m afraid of success.
The Subtle Fear That Keeps Me Stuck as a Type 9
As an Enneagram Type 9, my core struggle isn’t laziness, it’s the passion of Sloth. A kind of inner resistance that keeps me doing the easy things instead of the essential ones. (You can read more about the passions of the Enneagram types here.)
I over-prepare instead of launch.
I do low-effort tasks while avoiding the ones that create momentum.
I under-market my offers.
I stay in my comfort zone, trying to figure it all out alone rather than asking for help.
I once read something that put it perfectly:
You’re not doing nothing. You’re doing everything but the thing that brings momentum.
That hit hard. And it describes my pattern exactly.
For a while, I chalked it up to perfectionism or procrastination, things we all struggle with, right?
But what I’m seeing more clearly now is that perfectionism and procrastination are often signs of both fear of failure and fear of success.
Fear of Failure vs. Fear of Success
These two fears might seem like opposites, but they have a lot in common:
Fear of Failure
What if I try and it doesn’t work?
I’ll be exposed as not good enough
I’ll be judged or rejected
I’ll disappoint others or myself
Fear of Success
What if I try and it does work?
I’ll be expected to keep it up forever
I’ll be more visible, more vulnerable
I’ll outgrow relationships or routines
In both cases, the result is the same: we stall out, overthink, tell ourselves we’re “not ready,” and stay stuck doing safe things instead of bold, aligned things.
That’s where I found myself until something shifted.
A Glimpse Into My Zone of Genius
Through Elevate Your Mindset, I had what I can only describe as a lightbulb moment.
Ashley guided us to explore our Zone of Genius, a concept introduced by Gay Hendricks in The Big Leap.
It’s the idea that we all have a unique area where we naturally thrive: the work that lights us up and flows effortlessly. Most of us spend way too much time in our Zone of Competence or Zone of Excellence… but not our Genius.
When I finally saw my Zone of Genius clearly, I thought: This makes so much sense. It explained everything I loved about my work, the kind of impact I want to make, and why certain things drain me while others energize me.
I’m still sitting with it. Still letting it take root. But it already feels like a turning point.
The Truth About “Failure”
Looking back, I can see that what I labeled as failure was really a nudge. A redirection. A reminder that if something isn’t working, it doesn’t mean I’m broken. It means something needs to shift inside me or around me.
If you’ve been feeling stuck lately, I want you to know:
You’re not alone.
You’re not failing.
You’re probably just being invited to try a new direction.
And if you’re tired of white-knuckling your way through business or mindset blocks, I can’t recommend Elevate Your Mindset enough. It helped me name things I hadn’t been able to see clearly—patterns that were holding me back from the kind of success I actually want.
Sometimes, the biggest breakthroughs don’t come from strategy.
They come from pausing, reflecting, and getting radically honest with yourself.
