Entrepreneurship is unpredictable, because let’s face it: There is no guarantee the risks you take will pay off.
But if you allow fear to prevent you from pursuing your passion, you’ll likely always feel something is missing. To succeed as an entrepreneur, you must tackle your fears head on so they don’t run the show anymore—you do.
Here are the six biggest fears an entrepreneur faces, and how you can overcome them:
1. You don’t feel ready yet.
You will never feel ready. The stars, moons and planets won’t suddenly align and send cosmic impulses when it’s time for you to pursue your dreams. You simply have to take action.
You might not feel like it’s the perfect time to take action yet. That’s totally normal. The truth is, the perfect moment doesn’t exist. You must take the moment and make it perfect by taking imperfect action.
Success is the product of action, not thought. Master the art of momentum to ensure you’re always moving toward your goals. If you take action and make a mistake, it’s OK; you’ll learn more from one mistake than you’ll learn from an eternity of daydreaming.
Ask yourself, Who will I become in the face of fear?
2. People will judge you for doing something different.
It’s none of your business what other people think about you. Let’s face it, not everyone is going to like you. Even if you try to make everyone like you, some people still won’t, so you might as well just be yourself.
When you take a stand for what you believe in, people’s opinions become irrelevant. Some of the world’s most influential leaders—Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa, etc.—faced extreme opposition, yet their devotion to their visions stayed constant.
If your family and friends think you’re crazy for pursuing your dreams, that’s totally normal. They just want you to be safe. Steve Jobs said, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” Consider your craziness a gift.
Ask yourself, Who am I willing to become at the risk of being seen?
3. It’s already been done.
This might be true, but it’s never been done by you. What separates true leaders from the rest of the crowd is not originality, but authenticity.
For example, the fitness industry is saturated with the same content, yet new leaders emerge on the scene all the time. Why? Because successful leaders have the ability to deliver value in a way that’s authentic to them—even if it’s not original.
What is originality, anyway? Almost everything we know is a hybrid of information that we learned from someone else who learned it from someone else, and so on.
It’s true, most things have been done before, but once you put your own perspective, passion and personality behind the value you’re sharing with the world, it becomes authentic to you. No one can duplicate the essence that makes you you.
Ask yourself, How can I add the most value to the world just being myself?
Related: The 3 Emotional Challenges You’ll Face as an Entrepreneur
4. You don’t know enough to start yet.
Many people are using the next certification, self-help book or seminar to provide the illusion that they’re finally ready to start pursuing their dreams. Education is great, but it’s not about the stuff you need to learn—it’s about what you do with the itty bitty nuggets that count. Just imagine what your life would look like if you actually applied what you already know.
For example, if everyone actually ate healthy and exercised, they’d be in great shape. When you apply what you already know, you will shift your life and the lives around you in an incredibly powerful way.
Take action with the knowledge you already have and continue to master your craft as you go.
Ask yourself, How could I make the biggest difference using what I already know?
5. You’re afraid you’re going to fail.
Pursuing your dreams is about stepping up and becoming a leader. In the process, you will make some mistakes. So what?
“Failure” is simply feedback you should use to improve your craft. Walt Disney and Michael Jordan didn’t give up after they failed. They persevered because each setback was actually a setup for a greater comeback.
The greatest lessons come from failure, so perceive it as a gift. As Robert Kiyosaki said, “People who avoid failure also avoid success.”
Ask yourself, What’s the point of living if I don’t at least try to do something remarkable?
6. You don’t know how to do everything you want to do.
You don’t always need to know the exact route to your destination—you just have to get there. Take action on what you know you can do, then either model the rest or outsource it.
If you see other entrepreneurs who have the results you want, pay attention to what they’re doing. Opt into their mailing lists, buy their products, take a look at how they operate their businesses, and then model what you like using your unique content and authentic style.
If there are things that you don’t know how to do or simply don’t want to spend time doing, outsource them. There are teams of virtual assistants all over the world who will gladly handle your workload. There are thousands of affordable virtual assistants available at upwork.com, fiverr.com or freelance.com, among other sites.
Ask yourself, Who can I model or hire to help me bring my vision to life?
The more you face your fears, the less power they have over you. You are far more powerful than you realize, so take risks and trust in your ability to deliver. Although entrepreneurship is unpredictable, you chose it, so bring your dreams to life today without giving fear a second thought.
Related: 21 Quotes About Failing Fearlessly
Photo by Gondex / Shutterstock.com
