Everyone I have ever talked to that is a small business owner or entrepreneur has had to face their fears. I have had to as well. I want to share with you some of the strategies that I have used to conquer them. The first step is to accept them. You have fears even if you don’t readily acknowledge them. They sometimes take the form of that chatter in the back of your head that says you can’t do it or you aren’t good enough. Trust me. You CAN do it!
Fear is such a vast issue preventing people from becoming entrepreneurs. Authors have even written entire books that relate to fear, and the way it holds us back, two of my favorites are The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and Start by Jon Acuff.
Here are some of the techniques I have used as I have learned them from other entrepreneurs and authors:
Think about what you do want. When you find yourself saying that you can’t do it or you go to your worst-case scenario, turn it around and focus on what you DO want. Visualize yourself getting what you do want. I know this is going to sound cheesy, but I have found that making a vision board helps you to not only visually see what you wish to but enables you to think and decide what you want. It will then provide you a constant reminder of why you are doing what you are doing.
Voice your fears to a trusted friend or associate; hopefully, you have been able to support from at least one other entrepreneur. Ideally, you have a significant other that supports you. If not, then you should have a support network from your team or corporate that you can talk to. Some people may tell you that you are crazy; you could even believe that you’re not good enough. For me, my wife has been a constant source of support, and so have a small group of like-minded individuals I meet for coffee every other week. Sometimes you just need certain people in your life to kick that fear out of your head!
Have a personal development library. I draw tremendous support from my library. It is not just filled with how-to resources, but also stories of others who conquered their fears. I love to listen to audiobooks about other successful business people, entrepreneurs, or even listen to the memoirs of famous actors and actresses. They all have great stories about how they overcame their fears to become successful.
Go ahead and START. Sometimes just making the smallest step will help get you started enough that the fear of not doing something can go away. An example would be neglecting to write or make a video out of fear of failure. Just starting it can create enough momentum to see it through and get you moving in the right direction.
Visualize the result but make the action the goal. There is a subtle difference here for the entrepreneur and business owner. 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 your actions. The work will eventually produce the result, and you can certainly achieve that goal.
Carl Armijo is a Louisville Kentucky Headshot Photographer and Podcast Host of 502 Entrepreneurs. His passion is to help coach you to look and be your best to improve your online image presence. https://www.carlarmijo.com
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