In a world where everything is so available to us, we can become whoever we want to be. With access to social media, we have never been so close to influencers, celebrities, famous CEO’s and many other people that we admire. We watch behind the scenes how people are creating their products or building their businesses and we think ‘I would love to do that as well!
Many people have taken the courage to share their knowledge, experience or hobby and turned it into an online business. But only because something looks so simple and colourful on social media, it doesn’t mean that new entrepreneurs are not facing many challenges while starting and building their first business.
Whether we are starting an online business or looking to progress in our career we tend to experience a lot of hesitation and uncertainty. We start doubting and questioning ourselves until all the confidence goes down the drain.
Why are we doing this to ourselves? Because we are scared…
Fears can keep us stuck in where we are for a really long time, they are our reminder that we are about to exit our comfort zone and that makes us feel uncomfortable.
Let me tell you a secret, fears are not real. We have created them ourselves based on stories and experiences from our past. We have been repeating certain phrases, patterns or behaviours for so long that they have become our reality.
So let’s have a look at 5 common fears that stand in your way to achieve success.
Fear of not knowing what you are doing
I remember when I started my coaching business, I had no idea what I was doing. Everything was new, from setting up a business online to figuring out how to sell my services to my potential clients. Don’t let this fear stand in your way to build success in your life. You may not know now what to do, but you can definitely learn it and as soon as you start things will start to make more sense to you.
Fear of failure
Fear of failure is an irrational belief that can make all your dreams for better life and success fall apart. We are scared that things may go sideways and we are worried about what the family would say if we fail. Would that matter? You have tried and that’s already a great achievement and learning point, the one that many people have no courage to try. To start an online business you don’t need to invest a lot of money, so apart from your time you don’t have much to lose but think how much you can gain in the future if it works out.
Fear of putting yourself out there
Many people when starting to build their own business or changing careers worry about all the bad things that can happen. We are putting ourselves in a position where we question our skills, capability and confidence. I can see times and times when the biggest challenge for many new entrepreneurs is to be visible. We don’t want to be seen and we don’t want to hear, because what if we say something stupid, what if my family and friends see me trying to promote my new business online, what if I receive a negative comment or be rejected? There are a lot of ‘what if’s, and that’s ok. Remember, you are building your future and you are creating the life you want, and that will come with many uncomfortable situations. The question is: ‘Do you believe it is worth a shot?’
Fear of being different
Family and social programming have a great impact on how we behave and what we believe in. We all have been labelled by our family or friends as this one specific person: a dreamer, a joker, someone who doesn’t risk in life, or someone who is always quiet and following the rules. We know that we are so much more than what people think, and sometimes we are so afraid to show the world who we are. You see all these perfect people on social media and think: I am not as successful, I am not as good-looking- it doesn’t matter, you are YOU and it’s all it counts, so don’t be afraid to be your authentic self.
Fear of Success
Another common fear in starting a business is the fear of success, and you are probably going to ask me- hold on a second, I want to be successful and make lots of money, how can this be a fear? There are two things that I want to tackle here. This fear is often rooted in a fear of responsibility and the complexities that come with achieving success. However, these are just excuses to avoid the difficulties that come with growth and accomplishment.
Another problem can be your family programming what have you heard in your family growing up about rich people? That they are greedy or act like they are better than others. Maybe you had an example in your family when someone became successful and everyone was always rolling their eyes at them saying that they had changed. That has created a certain vision for you that enables you to take a risk and build your own business because you are scared that you also will change and you will become like them. Something to think about.
Let’s have a look at some of my favourite strategies that you can take to overcome your fears.
- Take action– create a plan that you can follow that will bring you closer to your goals
- Acknowledge the fear– there is nowhere to hide, the sooner you realise your fears the faster you will overcome them
- Break it down into small little chunks– sometimes it’s easier to concentrate on the next couple of steps than the whole journey. Break down your goals into small chunks and work through your list to complete them individually.
- Never stop learning– the world of entrepreneurship is always changing and growing, so it’s important to be open to new things that will keep your business fresh.
- Focus on your why– Why did you start your business? Why do you do what you do? Write it down. Focus on your why and your goals to drive you when you need an extra boost to overcome your fear.