Workshop: Fail Is Not A Four Letter Word

How to become friends with failure so that you can enjoy more success

If you haven’t failed recently, you’re living too safe

• Do you have great plans… but notice something is holding you back?

• Do you have an idea… but then get that sinking feeling when you think about starting it?

How are you with failure?

Failing is an experience which many of us dread. The thought alone can bring us out in a cold sweat and get our heart pounding; the prospect of failing can cause symptoms of anxiety such as sweaty palms and shallow breathing. Does this sound like you?

For many of us, we have been taught that FAIL is a four letter word – a negative experience, one to be avoided at all costs. If we fail, we try to hide it. We also avoid taking action which could lead to failure. The cost of this is that we stay stuck, treading water in the same place.

The difference between failing being a painful experience and it being a learning experience is perspective. This Fail Is Not A Four Letter Word workshop gives you a new perspective on failure.

Oh it feels like Spring has come early! There was me, fear of failure dragging me down with a sense of no possibility to change. I could easily have wimped out and not come – driving down from Nottingham in the snow and ice – but I made it and had the chance to reconnect and reconnect to myself. I showed myself that trying repeatedly can be fun. I discovered what it’s like to just do it, not over-think it, and I ended up singing in front of the group. Now THAT surprised me! I’d say to anyone: unlock yourself from the prison of failure. The key is on the inside of you.

- Penny Poyzer, Author/Broadcaster/Green Campaigner : penney.poyzer@gmail.com

I’m Corrina Gordon-Barnes, a certified coach and experienced workshop facilitator.

I was very successful throughout school and university. When it came to the entrepreneurial path, suddenly there were different rules. With no-one telling me what to do, I had to decide on next action steps with no guidelines for which would work and which attempts would crash and burn. My failure muscle was weak and I avoided putting it to the test by procrastinating and choosing ’safe’ paths that led nowhere interesting. I knew my business could never move forward and I could never achieve those truly great goals if I kept seeing failure as a bad thing.

I decided to create a new perspective for myself – choosing to see failure as an inherent aspect of the entrepreneurial path which I could actually look forward to and relish. With failure no longer a ‘no go’ area, I started taking risks, putting myself out there, taking action and achieving the goals I really wanted.

This workshop has been running since June 2008 and has helped dozens of people to get unstuck and move forward. It evolved out of the successes I was witnessing when my one-to-one coaching clients took a different approach to failure and has also been informed by dozens of interviews I have carried out to find out what holds people back from finding and following their passion.

Upcoming Public Dates:

Sat 7th August 2010, Paignton, Devon. 10am – 4pm.

£35 when booked before 1st July; £45 thereafter

Reserving Your Place:

There are three payment options:

1) Bank transfer (BACS)

2) Cheque

3) PayPal

Click here to reserve your place and select your payment option.

Alternatively, use the ‘Buy Now’ button below; this can accept payment via your PayPal account or via a debit or credit card.

NB Earlybird before 1st July

Earlybird £35.00 Full price £45.00

Cancellation Policy (Refund/Credit Transfer)

1) With more than four weeks notice = a full refund

2) Between four weeks and 48 hours notice = either (a) transfer of your credit to a future workshop or coaching session, or (b) transfer of your place to another participant

3) There is no refund with less than 48 hours notice, except in extreme circumstances – in which case please let me know.

There are three payment options:

1) Bank transfer (BACS)

2) Cheque

3) PayPal

Click here to reserve your place and select your payment option.

Cancellation Policy (Refund/Credit Transfer)

With more than four weeks notice = a full refund

With less than four weeks notice = either (a) transfer of your credit to a future workshop or coaching session, or (b) transfer of your place to another participant

I want to help you in overcoming one of the biggest obstacles – fear of failure. I have found that a willingness to fail is one of the key characteristics of a successful person. By risking failure, we open up new opportunities.

The workshop runs from 10am till 4pm and is accompanied by a workbook; we use this during the workshop and it also provides you with an effective reminder of the process when you return home.

In this workshop, discover…

• Why you’ll never move forward if you see failure in your old way

• How fresh perspectives can impact how you feel and the choices you make

• How to tailor-make a unique perspective on failure

• How to create an action plan which will lead you to success

Fear of failure used to stop me from trying. It was a really big deal and made me feel really unsatisfied with myself. In this workshop, I got to actually practise failing which helped me see the playfulness, the lightness and the possibilities in failing. I was surprised to discover that I enjoy trying – that it’s fun to explore. I’d recommend this workshop if you want to freshen things up and get a boost of energy.

- Julia Paterno, Carpenter and Joiner, Cambridge

If you were working through this process on a one-to-one basis, you would be paying £100 per hour. This workshop is just £45 for the whole day (or £35 if booked at the early-bird price) AND you get to share the journey with others who are also committed to moving forward. I am always struck by how quickly the participants become a cohesive group and by how generously they support each other.

This issue was preventing me from making the most of the opportunities I have and from searching out news ones. I didn’t know what to expect from this workshop. I’ve never done anything like this before so I was a little unsure of how it would work and whether I would find it useful. Now I feel really motivated to use everything I’ve learnt today. I have realised that I can set my own goals when it comes to success, not just follow everyone else’s. I would recommend this to a friend – I’d say that it would give them a totally new perspective

- Louise Payn, Full Time Volunteer

What I wanted more than anything was to work for myself, but I was really fearful about money and about getting enough freelance work when I left my job. I would often find myself very nervous when speaking in front of people or telling people about my business ideas. My fear was also a big contributor to procrastination, as I knew there were a lot of things I could do to move my business forward but I was fearful about just “doing it” and getting it wrong somehow.

The biggest thing I got from the workshop was about how common fear is for everyone. The other workshop participants were all lovely, and I thought “what have they got to be scared about?”. Maybe they were thinking that about me! It’s made me more compassionate towards myself and to others. In a nutshell, I really got that fear is not a big deal at all.

I took the leap into self-employment. To be honest, I do still procrastinate but I’ve completely chilled out about money. In fact I’ve felt comfortable taking on a bit more debt because I see it as a total investment in my business and myself. I signed up for an intensive six month coaching programme with one of my raw food idols. I’ve also had the courage to stick to my guns and not take on work that doesn’t feel right to me just because I “need the money”. I’ve been looking for opportunities to speak in public, and I’m getting better at telling people what I do for a living.

- Denise Thomas, London www.thegreenqueen.co.uk

FAQs

1. Is this workshop only available in Cambridge and London?

No – hot off the press, we’ve now got a date in Devon thanks to a keen host down in Paignton.

Location hasn’t deterred previous participants who have travelled in from Nottingham, Hereford and Dorset to shift past this common block.

Would you like to host this workshop in another location? In return for finding a venue and promoting locally, you can attend the workshop for free or receive a cash thank you. Contact me if you are interested in this.

2. Is this workshop exclusively for female wannabe entrepreneurs?

Most participants have been self-employed already or about to take that leap e.g. writers, healers, virtual assistants, TV presenters & musicians. We have also had parents, employees and students. To date, there have been more female participants than male but men are certainly very welcome.

I had constant fear of failure. In fact, I nearly didn’t come because of lack of confidence.

I was surprised at how close the group became, and how much support there was. We were all in the same boat and so I wasn’t worried that others were judging me. I’m less afraid of failure now.

- Katie Cheung, Student, London

Any further questions, please do contact me If you’d rather give me a call, I’d love to hear from you; my number is 01223 415113.

Also available: one-hour version for schools and conferences. Click here for more information.