Many women executives and female entrepreneurs may suffer from a fear of success and not even realize it, says Marin County Executive Life Coach Michelle DeBerge.
“Executive women might feel frustrated because each time they get closer to their goals, things go wrong or it does not happen. This is not their fault as it is almost always unconscious. They may believe that they are doing all the right things but keep coming up short,” said DeBerge, who specializes in helping successful women, ages 45-70, live a fulfilling life.
“This can look like not being able to take the steps forward to reach their goals or having a sense of feeling stuck. They procrastinate on projects or worry what others will think if they are successful. They may tell themselves that they are not good enough or don’t deserve success. It is usually not the success that stops them, but what happens when they achieve it,” said DeBerge, an international professional life coach, workshop leader and motivational speaker.
“Fears of success, fear of failure and feeling stuck all have one thing in common: an unconscious, misguided perception of success. You may not even realize that you are sabotaging yourself,” said DeBerge, who has been recognized both locally and nationally for her coaching. She has executive women clients in
“Years ago I noticed that almost every time I got close to my goals something would happen and I would not succeed. I found that I was procrastinating more than usual. I was getting frustrated and did not understand how I was not successful despite all of my hard work and planning,” she said.
“I decided to look at what success meant to me. As I looked inward, I realized that my vision of success was right out of a Night of the Living Dead movie. I perceived it as zombies attacking me and pulling on me from every direction. I felt that success meant everyone would want a piece of me and there would be no time for me. I was shocked!”
“My subconscious belief about success was not the success I really wanted. Because of my misconstrued sense of success, I was not able to complete the steps towards it,” she said.
When she reframed her vision of success, her life turned around.
“First, I got a clear vision of what success really looked like to me. Once I knew what I wanted it to look like, I was able to put in place a plan that would support me in achieving it,” she said.
DeBerge offers three tips to help professional women overcome fear of success:
1. Explore what success really looks like to you.
Is your unconscious vision of success really what you want to achieve? Consider the outcome of success on both your personal and business life. Is this something that you believe you deserve and really want?
2. Make your vision of success something that is achievable.
Break it down into steps that you can accomplish piece by piece. Looking at how you sabotaged yourself in the past, implement strategies so that it does not happen again. Make sure you enjoy the steps to get there.
3. Celebrate your achievements.
Many women have behavioral conditioning to not toot their own horn. I believe that we need to celebrate our successes. It reminds us of why we are doing it and inspires others to follow their dreams. Creating excitement and celebration around success helps our subconscious stay in alignment with our dream.
“Women can attain their dreams if they follow these steps to overcome fear of success,” she said.
About Michelle DeBerge
With over ten years experience inspiring people from all walks of life, Michelle has been recognized locally and nationally for her work. She is a graduate of The Coaches Training Institute in San Rafael, California, and an alumna of The Elemental Women’s Leadership Program a curriculum that focuses on the 5 elements: water, air, fire, earth, and metal. Michelle has studied with some of the world’s top workshop leaders. Her compelling personal story, combined with her ongoing education in the coaching and motivational field, set her apart from other life coaches and give her an enhanced ability to offer more than standard results.
Using a time-honored, holistic approach that acknowledges the contributions of mind, body and spirit, Michelle tailors coaching sessions and guides clients through an awakening process that will empower them.
Michelle offers private, one-to-one telephone coaching sessions, customized group workshops, and tailored private or group retreats.
For information, go to www.MichelleDeberge.com
