Based on my own personal experience here are Ten Strategies to help with both overcoming the fear of failure and in dealing with unpleasant people, specifically focusing on not letting others’ opinions or judgments affect our sense of self and goals:

1. **Understanding the Fear:** Understanding is the first step to overcoming any fear. What is it about failure that scares us? Is it the perceived judgment from others, the potential impact on our lives or simply the feeling of not succeeding? By identifying what specifically about failure scares us, we can address these feelings directly.

2. **Growth Mindset:** Encourage ourselves to adopt a growth mindset. This concept, developed by psychologist Carol Dweck, refers to the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed with time and effort. With a growth mindset, failure is not seen as an endpoint but as an opportunity to learn and grow.

3. **Mindfulness and Self-Compassion:** Teach ourselves mindfulness and self-compassion. Mindfulness allows us to recognize and accept our feelings without judgement. Self-compassion involves being kind to oneself, recognizing that everyone makes mistakes, and learning to comfort oneself in times of failure.

4. **Self-affirmation:** Encourage ourselves to practice self-affirmation. This involves repeating positive and encouraging statements to oneself, especially in moments of self-doubt or fear. It can help boost confidence and combat negative self-perceptions.

5. **Exposure Therapy:** Exposure therapy involves gradually and repeatedly exposing oneself to the feared situation until it begins to feel less scary. In this case, that might involve taking on small challenges where we might fail, so that we can become more comfortable with the idea of failure.

6. **Dealing with Unpleasant People:** When it comes to handling difficult individuals, it’s important to remember that their opinions usually say more about them than about ourselves. We should strive to be around positive people who uplift us and minimize our interactions with those who are consistently negative or overly critical.

7. **Resilience Training:** Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity. There are various techniques to build resilience, such as focusing on one’s strengths, practicing good self-care, building social support networks, and developing good problem-solving skills.

8. **Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):** CBT is an approach where individuals learn to identify and change unhelpful thought patterns that lead to fear and avoidance. This could be useful in reframing thoughts about failure and the judgments of others.

9. **Seek Professional Help:** If our fear is significantly impacting our quality of life, we might consider seeking professional help. Therapists or psychologists can provide personalized advice and treatment plans.

10. **Faith**, regardless of one’s beliefs, possesses immense power in conquering fear, particularly when it is firmly rooted in the experiences of everyday life, encompassing its trials and tribulations.

Remember, it’s natural to fear failure and feel intimidated by unpleasant people. But it’s important not to let these fears stand in the way of pursuing goals and personal growth. It may take time to overcome these fears, but with persistence and the right mindset, it is certainly achievable.

cCc