FEAR OF FAILURE IS ON ALMOST, IF NOT EVERY ENTREPRENEUR'S MIND. 
I think there comes a time in every entrepreneur’s journey whether you are just starting out or have been in business for some time where you think to yourself that this might not work out.
Are you considering taking the leap of faith, but the fear of failure keeps playing like a bad rerun?
Today, I want to delve more about the fear of failure and how to prevent it from paralyzing your goals. But a word of warning, I’m also going to challenge you to look in a mirror and ask yourself the top question needed if you want to face your fears.
I’ve been an entrepreneur for most of my life but Mom Meets Life is my first official business and I can honestly say the fear of failure is something I have seriously struggled with.
If I’m completely candid, I almost didn’t start this business because of a host of fears. What would people think about me? What if people think I’m crazy for pursuing a new venture despite having a successful corporate career? What if I can’t create the same kind of success I’ve helped build for previous clients for myself?
I’ve poured my heart and soul into launching this business and I’m so grateful I did because I know my greater purpose, but trust me when I say the fear of failures still frequently occurs.
There’s a phrase amongst entrepreneurs that goes “new level, new devil.” I wish I could tell you that the fear will go away. However, the truth is it’s a reality especially in a period of uncertainty. But the saying, “no risk, no reward” is also true; and over the course of my journey I’ve learned some strategies that have helped me overcome fear quicker that I will share with you.
The fear of failure is keeping you stuck. With fear comes being stuck in the acceptance of status quo because it provides a false sense of comfort. If you think about it, when you go to question something, it opens the door for fear.
You can choose to remain in comfort or face your fears and see the amazing beauty that can be created on the other side.
Let me share with you the mindset shift I had. When I turned my focus to the benefits of the life I would create once I accomplished my goals, it completely put everything in perspective for me. I began to fear more how I would feel if I did absolutely nothing and remained stuck.
So let’s get down to business on how to tackle the big ol’ monster of fear that plagues you in the night (and I know for many the day too!)
Try this brief exercise.
- If you are old school, grab a piece of paper. If you are glued to your phone like me, use your notes app and draft a list of the worst possible scenarios that could occur. Yes, I’m legit serious, write them down.
- Now take a look at your list and ask yourself if you would honestly ever let it get that bad? Would I really allow it to get to that low of a level?
We have a natural habit of allowing the worst to settle in our minds when in reality our natural reflex of self preservation would prevent us from ever reaching that place.
The mind can certainly be the devil’s playground sometimes, but you have an opportunity and most importantly you have a choice. You have the power to say no and believe in yourself and that you will not let any of those things happen.
You are going to remind yourself you are a beautiful queen that is not going to let negative thoughts keep you in your comfort zone and keep you playing safe. Why? Because you know the safety in comfort often results in a plateau with many entrepreneurs or a lack of momentum to truly get started. You don’t want to stay there. I don’t want you to stay there. You deserve better.
So here is the number one question to ask yourself when the fear of failure is crippling your stride.
Are you ready? Here it is!
Who do you admire?
Really think about this. Who do you admire? It could be someone you follow online, famous, or even a person you admire personally.
For me, it’s my mother. I know that may sound cliche or typical but no matter has ever been on her plate, she just always found a way to get it done for someone. I mean ALWAYS! I didn’t always appreciate it growing up and most times didn’t quite get it. Now as a fairly new mother myself, I still find myself struggling to get it all done or hold it together, and I find myself in awe of exactly how she pulled it off. However, I find myself now implementing the blueprint she showed me in motherhood and her sacrifices enabled me to become who I am now as a woman.
Now ask yourself these questions and insert the name of the person you admire in them:
I’m willing to bet your life would look a lot different without that influence and that’s my point.
Your business should be greater than just running it or the financial gains that come from it. In fact, the entrepreneur life really isn’t about you. It is (or should be) about the people you serve and need to hear from you.
Think about the people you have the opportunity to impact with your work. They need you to show up. They need to hear from you and they need you to take action.
Pause for a moment and think about who needs you. If I were to speak in traditional marketing terms, I would rephrase by asking who is your target market? Even if you can touch just one person, you can make a difference which has the ability to trickle down and positively affect others.
When the ugly face of fear surfaces, I think about the people I can impact. I think about how I can help make their lives better.
One final question. Where would you be if the person you admire didn’t show up and who are you meant to impact?
The change starts with you today.
I know in spite of my fears, I hold the power to write my story and others need to hear my message.
Share with me below your biggest takeaways from this blog post and how you are going to implement this in your business!
Xoxo,
Christina
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