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"Constantly think about how you could be doing things better."
- Elon Musk, Investor & Entrepreneur
6 min read
By Lisa Teh

How to overcome your fears so you can become better in busines


Mental Health

Nobody is born a perfect businessman, except maybe Steve Jobs. There are so many different ideas that go into having a perfect business model, but there’s also different ideas that can really jeopardize your business. In this article, we’ll talk about common fears in business, how to overcome them, and how to learn from them.

WHAT ARE THE COMMON FEARS?

Especially this year, businesses are becoming harder and harder to become successful. Take for example cable TV; 20 years ago, cable TV was booming. But now, with the introduction of all these different streaming services that make it easy to watch what you want and for such a low price each month, people are starting to think that cable TV isn’t worth its price tag anymore.

It works the same with any kind of product. People will change what they want over time. You know you have a successful business model when you have rival companies almost breathing down your neck with how they can make your product better and cheaper.

Here’s some common fears:

  • Lack of experience
  • Fear of failure
  • Low self-value

In order to power over your fears, you need to identify what they are and that it’s okay to be afraid. The famous saying is that failure is the key to success. We’ll tell you something else, too: You’re never going to be 100% confident in your business and what you stand for.

The reality is being successful is all about your determination and discipline to accomplish your goals, even if you’re afraid. Mistakes will make your business thrive. Nobody expects you to be perfect. The most important thing to do if you do mess up is to acknowledge it and move on.

PLANNING AHEAD

You can’t completely predict your failures or what will go wrong, but you can always plan ahead to the best of your abilities. One way to do this is to think about worst-case scenarios and what you would do in those scenarios.

Maybe you have a huge presentation to some clients about your product or business and you’re afraid you’re going to mess up. Maybe you slur through your words a little bit. Maybe you make yourself look like an idiot a tiny bit. In those situations, what would you do?

Would you become so embarrassed you just book it out the door? Or would a better idea be to acknowledge those mistakes and make yourself even more marketable? No one expects you to be perfect. If you make a joke that clears up the room a little bit, odds are they’ll respect you more for it. Making light of an appropriate situation is a great skill to have.

TAKING COMFORT IN OTHERS

Don’t let this be a “you vs. the world” thing. If you have friends and family that have experience in business or even care about you, don’t feel embarrassed about confiding in them. Maybe they won’t have anything special to say but talking about your emotions out loud is healthier in the long run. And maybe just by voicing those thoughts, you’ll finally realize what you need to do and how to do it.

DON’T LET THE NEGATIVITY WIN

If you’re someone who is prone to negative thoughts, starting a business can be draining. Every single day, you have at least one thought plaguing your mind. Here’s a tip for you: you can’t let it win.

This is your sign to start being proactive against those thoughts. It’s okay to feel disappointment and it’s even okay to be angry, but don’t let that feeling take over you completely. Let yourself have a moment for it, but then repeat to yourself that this will pass. That it feels bad in the moment, but you will make it through.

Maybe a client you were really depending on fell through. It’s okay to be disappointed but pat yourself on the back and move on. Repeat to yourself positive phrases anytime your mind starts to wander. Remind yourself of all the things you’ve done up until this point. You have something over others: you did it.

THIS IS YOUR SIGN

This is your sign to do it. Don’t procrastinate any longer; just do it. You could spend months, even years, thinking up reasons why you shouldn’t go ahead with your business. Maybe someone already has a similar idea. Maybe you don’t feel like you have enough experience and need to do some more research.

Whatever the reason may be, that’s okay. It’s okay not to feel 100% sure what you’re doing all the time. What matters is that you tried. Take small steps towards your goal.

Maybe you start off first with trademarking a name for your business, then a website, then work on marketing. These all need to be done by the end of it, but if you take them one step at a time, you’ll be almost at the finishing line before you even know it.

SUMMARY

All in all, it’s not easy to overcome your fears, especially about business. But just know there’s other people just like you that struggle. The difference between them and you? You know what you have to do to overcome them.

Don’t be like other people who let their fear of failure or low self-value dictate what they do with their life. It takes a successful businessman to actually take that first step, even if you run into some bumps in the road along the way.

In summary, you first need to identify your fears and why they might cripple you. You need to have a strong course of action, even if that means taking things one day at a time. You also need to confide in those around you and reach out. Just talking to others will give you strength. We hope this helped you move that much closer to your overall goal in your business.

This is your sign: just do it.

About the author

Lisa

Co-Founder of Lisnic 🌏 Founder of CODI Agency (Digital Marketing)📱
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