Starting your own business can be both exciting and scary at the same time. Exciting because you get to make all of the decisions, and you’re on your way to becoming your own boss. Scary because there are so many mistakes that can be made along the way, and if you make those mistakes, then it could hurt your business from the beginning. With this fear of failure hovering over you, how do you overcome it? There are several things that you can do in order to push forward without worrying about failing too much along the way.
1) Think about why you are afraid
For many people, the fear of failure can be crippling. It can prevent you from taking risks, pursuing your dreams, and ultimately achieving success. To help overcome this fear, ask yourself these five questions:
1) What is my biggest fear?
2) How can I turn this into a positive?
3) What is my worst-case scenario?
4) What would I regret more – not trying or giving up too soon?
5) Is there anything I am doing that doesn’t really matter to me anymore that might give me more time to pursue my dream project?
2) Check for facts instead of assumptions
One of the best ways to overcome the fear of failure is to check your assumptions. Oftentimes, we let our fears get the best of us because we assume that things will turn out a certain way. But if we take a step back and look at the facts, we can see that our assumptions may not be accurate. For example, you might assume that there’s no market for your product or service but once you dig deeper into research, you might find otherwise. You may also believe that people don’t want what you have to offer but when you ask people their thoughts on the subject, they give positive feedback.
3) Accept uncertainty
When you’re starting your own business, there will be a lot of uncertainty. You may not know if your product or service will be successful, you may not know if you’ll be able to make enough money to support yourself, and you may not even know if you’re cut out for entrepreneurship. However, it’s important to accept this uncertainty and embrace it as part of the journey.
4) Gain perspective on the problem
If you’re feeling scared about starting your own business, you’re not alone. The fear of failure is one of the most common reasons people don’t take the plunge. But here’s the thing: everyone feels that way at first. The key is to push through the fear and take action anyway. Once you’ve been running a business for a while, it becomes less daunting. You’ll find that the moments when things feel really difficult are still outnumbered by all the times they feel good or even great.
5) Set attainable goals
One way to overcome the fear of failure is to set attainable goals. This means having a clear and realistic understanding of what you want to achieve and when you want to achieve it. It also means being honest with yourself about your own capabilities and limitations. Recognize that starting out in business can be very difficult, but it’s important not to get overwhelmed or discouraged. You will learn as you go and this is how we all improve our skillset and knowledge on a new topic.
