Advisors must change the way they think of failure, says Denise Marek, a worry management expert based in Ajax, Ont. and author of CALM: A Proven Four-Step Process Designed Specifically for Women Who Worry.

Instead of being scared of difficult situations such as networking or studying for a designation, advisors should consider mistakes as part of a process.

“Create a new definition [of failure],” says Marek. “It’s just a stepping stone to success.”

And advisors need to become comfortable with those stepping stones if they want to move their businesses forward.

Here are the five steps to facing your fears:

1. Discover the motivation behind what scares you
Ask yourself why you are thinking so much about this activity that makes you nervous. Is it because you want to take this on but you worry about the result? Or because you think you’re supposed to do this?

For example, your local chamber of commerce holds a monthly networking event but you dread going and so you avoid it.

Do you want to attend but you’re concerned you won’t say the right things? Or do you believe you have to go because advisors should be networking with business owners?

If you truly do not want to engage in the activity and it’s not something that has been mandated by your firm, you can probably stop considering it.

However, if you want to pursue this, understand that you will have to try regardless of the consequences.

2. Be willing to make mistakes
Those who dare to fail can achieve great things, according to Marek.

“You’re always going to make mistakes. That’s a part of how you grow,” she says. “The most successful people are the ones who made the biggest mistakes.”

One well-known example is James Dyson, the British inventor who is famous for developing the world’s first bagless vacuum cleaner in 1983. Dyson created 5,127 prototypes before producing a vacuum that satisfied him. He is now a billionaire.

3. Change your internal dialogue
People spend too much time worrying about whether something bad will happen, according to Marek.

A negative outcome to a situation is always possible because anything is possible. Instead, ask yourself if the worst-case scenario is likely to happen, says Marek.

For example, you might be very agitated about giving a speech at an event because you worry you’ll forget what you have to say. While that could possibly happen, it is unlikely you will completely freeze up and stand silently on stage.

4. Prepare yourself
Take some time to develop tools that will allow you to take on a new venture with some confidence.

This can be accomplished from reading materials on the topic or talking to others who have encountered similar situations.

So, if you are scared of taking an exam for a new designation, give yourself the time to study and ask peers who have gone through the process for their advice on succeeding.

The next step is putting your knowledge into practice.

5. Learn from mistakes
If you fail, evaluate what happened, what you have learned and consider what you will do differently next time.

“When you really learn from your mistakes, then the fear will start to dissipate,” says Marek.