About this episode

Joe and Brett explore the mechanics behind self-sabotage and the fear of success, revealing its similarities to the fear of failure.

Why do so many of us self-sabotage right when we're on the verge of success? Bands break up right after getting signed. Entrepreneurs burn out the moment they hit their goal. Athletes choke when they realize they're winning. In this episode, Joe and Brett explore the surprising mechanics behind the fear of success — and why it turns out to be nearly identical to the fear of failure. Brett opens with a personal story from a base jumping world championship where he realized mid-competition he was winning — and immediately couldn't hit the target again. From there, they unpack what's actually happening in the head, heart, and nervous system when we get close to what we want, and why expanding your capacity to feel is the real key to sustainable success.

People in this episode

Hosts: Joe Hudson, Brett Kistler

Topics covered

• self-sabotage
• fear of success
• fear of failure
• personal stories
• mental mechanics
• sustainable success

Keywords

• self-sabotage
• fear of success
• fear of failure
• mental health
• personal development
• entrepreneurship
• athletics

More episodes of The Art of Accomplishment

• How A Narcissist is Made · July 15, 2026 · 38 min
• What’s Beneath Your Fear of Being Seen? - Coaching with Joe · July 10, 2026 · 17 min
• What Joe Got Right (and Wrong) in Parenting… According to His Daughter · July 3, 2026 · 32 min
• Teaching Series: I Changed My Relationship with Money and the Money Changed · June 26, 2026 · 22 min

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