5 Fears You Must Overcome To Be Successful
Everyone I know has entrepreneurial dreams and if you are ambitious and creative too, you wouldn't mind having a business yourself. There is something about being your own boss and doing what you love for a living that has millions of Americans tying their luck to be the next Mark Zuckenberg or Walt Disney.
Every successful business started with an idea: A group of friends finding a solution to a problem; A socially awkward college dropout trying to kill some free time; or, a single mom trying to generate income from home. All it takes is a light bulb going off in your head.
What happens after you've had this million dollar idea? You capitalize. Big businesses are born in dorm rooms and overcrowded over-shared 1 bedroom apartments. Sounds easy, right? NO.
Deciding to take the entrepreneurial route instead of a reliable bi-weekly paycheck is a risky business -- pun intended. Sure there are countless books on Start-ups for Dummies, and with good credit and a co-signer a business loan is feasible, yet why are we still scared to death to own a small business?
These are the 5 major fears one must overcome in order to become an entrepreneur:
The Fear of Money
Everyone wants money and we don't mind working hard for it, but when it comes to earning it ourselves from our own talents and sacrifices, it appears to be less attainable. Truth is, we'd rather work to make someone else rich, for a small salary, instead of working to create our own wealth, for greater rewards. In order to be a business owner you must get over your fear of money: making it, having it and losing it.
The Fear of Doing It
The fear of crossing the road is so much greater than actually crossing. Things seem so impossible and unattainable during the planning process of it, that most people will come up with great ideas but the fear of greatness will keep them from executing. That's right, get over the fear of gambling because you just might win.
The Fear of Independence
Owning your own business means total financial independence. You will have to hire accountants and lawyers and pay your taxes and get the right insurance to protect yourself and your employees. That's overwhelming to write, imagine actually doing it! The fear of being on your own is enough to stop you from quitting your office job to open a bakery, but you could be the next Debbi Fields or you can make copies and file folders for the next 5 years.
The Fear of Time
Sometimes I have panic attacks on my way to the office because I feel that I am running out of time. I want my own business and so do you, but is it too late? Have I worked to the point of no return? Am I too young? Are you too old? Time does not change us, it just unfolds us -- if you feel it's too late, you're probably on time, and when you feel it's too soon, you're in time to pre-game. Fearing about time is wasting time itself, so don't fear -- just do it.
The Fear of You
We are our biggest enemies. We hold ourselves back more than anyone or anything can. Stop getting in your own way by being scared of what you are capable of. Stop scaring yourself from taking a leap, stop saying you can't do something because if you thought of it already you're halfway there. Open a business, work hard, succeed, fail, hit a wall, then break through it -- but just do it, or you'll live with yourself knowing that you could've and you didn't.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?" --Marianne Williamson
Isamar Batista | Elite.
