Facing Your Fears as an Entrepreneur
Every entrepreneur I have ever talked to has had to come face to face with his/her fears. I have had to as well. I want to share with you some of the techniques I have used to face them.
The first step is not to be in denial. You have fears even if you don’t readily acknowledge them. They sometimes take the form of chatter in the back of your head that says you can’t do it.
Fear is such a huge issue preventing people from becoming entrepreneurs. A CEO of a real-estate based network marketing company stated that even though his seminars are full, maybe 2-5% of people will actually go out and apply the knowledge by putting offers on real estate. He is convinced that the rest are paralyzed by fear.
Here are some of the techniques successful entrepreneurs have shared:
Think about what you DO want. When you find yourself spinning the wheels in your mind over and again about your worst-case scenario, turn it around and focus on what you DO want. Visualize yourself getting what you do want. See the new house. See yourself talking to the interested person as he/she becomes a part of your business. You get what you focus on.
Change the voice. When you hear yourself telling you that you’re not good enough-you’re going to fail. Just change the voice from yours to that of Mickey Mouse or something that would hold little weight with you anyway! Who cares if Mickey Mouse thinks you’re not good enough? Is Mickey Mouse an entrepreneur?
Voice them to a trusted friend or associate. Hopefully you have been able to find some level of support from at least one other entrepreneur. Ideally, you have a significant other that supports you. If not, then you should have some kind of support. Some people may tell you that it is silly you could even believe that you’re not good enough. For me, my wife has been a constant source of support. However, don’t go looking for support from all those people who doubted you and told you it was crazy to go out on your own. They will never understand the entrepreneur.
Have a personal development library. Create a tremendous library filled not just with how-to resources, but also stories of others who conquered their fears.
Go ahead and do it. Sometimes just taking the smallest step will help get you going enough that the fear of not doing something can go away. An example would be neglecting to write an article such as this one out of fear of failure. Just starting it can create enough momentum to see it through.
Visualize the result, but make the action the goal. There is a subtle difference here for the entrepreneur. Of course you want the result, but maybe that’s not in your direct control. Visualize the result in your mind, but make your goal the consistent and persistent action of the entrepreneur. The action will eventually produce the result and you can certainly achieve that goal.
Never, ever quit. Don’t even use that “q” word. If you do quit, you cease to be an entrepreneur. You’re not beaten, you are moving ahead!