Becoming an entrepreneur is no easy task, as many aspiring business owners discover when they realize that their new venture isn’t working out the way they had planned.
The fact of the matter is that you’re going to face challenges as you start and grow your business, and some of them are going to be really scary, not to mention expensive in terms of both money and time lost.
Are you up to the challenge? Do you have what it takes to push forward in spite of your fears? This article will help you learn how to deal with your fear and risk of failure when starting a business.
Accept your fears
Before you can overcome your fears, you have to accept that they exist. That’s not easy, but it’s an important first step. Second, try to understand where your fear is coming from. Is it based on previous experiences? Are you worried about the future? Once you know what’s causing your fear, you can start to address it.
Do some research and find out how other people have dealt with their own fears in similar situations. If you’re afraid of failure, take a risk once in a while; remember that the only way to fail is never to try.
Make a list of possible outcomes for every choice you make, good or bad. Visualize the outcome if you succeed and if you don’t.
The difference between these two outcomes should give you enough motivation to make sure the second one doesn’t happen!
Change what you can change
As an entrepreneur, you will face many challenges, some of which may seem insurmountable. It’s important to remember that you can’t control everything, but you can control how you react to situations.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a step back and assess what you can change. Often, the only thing we can control is our attitude and our response to adversity. So be fearless–you’ll never know what you’re capable of unless you try.
Try new things out
As an entrepreneur, it’s important to always be looking for new opportunities. This means that you’ll have to try new things out, which can be scary.
But if you want to be successful, you need to face your fears head on. Here are some tips for overcoming the fear and risk of failure as an entrepreneur. Using a mentor or advisor is a great way to get feedback and advice from someone who has been there before.
You may also find comfort in joining a peer group or even starting your own mastermind group with other entrepreneurs who share similar goals and challenges as you do.
There are plenty of resources available through books, articles, podcasts, videos, conferences, etc., so take advantage of them! Learning how to let go of control is key. It’s not always easy, but it will give you more freedom and happiness overall.
Give yourself permission to make mistakes; they’re inevitable anyway! And keep reminding yourself that nothing is set in stone – no matter what happens, all experience is valuable information towards becoming a better person/entrepreneur. Remembering this will help alleviate the fear and risk of failure when faced with tough decisions or times when things don’t go according to plan.
Set goals
As an entrepreneur, it’s important to set goals. Not only will this help you stay on track, but it will also help you measure your progress. When setting goals, be sure to make them SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
Once you’ve figured out what your goal is, figure out what steps are needed to get there. The most important thing is that these steps are realistic so that if they don’t work out, it won’t seem like a failure.
Once the steps have been determined, break them down into smaller tasks which can be accomplished in the short term (so not just the next day). By doing this you can feel accomplished at every small step along the way which makes success seem closer than ever!
After finishing the steps from one project, review them and decide whether or not to continue with them for another project. If you’re satisfied with what was done and would like to try something new for your next project, then great! If not, try adjusting the steps or moving onto another project altogether.
There really is no perfect recipe for being successful because every person has different talents and weaknesses. But by taking charge of your life instead of feeling helplessly stuck behind it all, fear will never again hold you back from pursuing your dreams!
Visualize success
One way to overcome the fear of failure is to visualize yourself succeeding. See yourself in your mind’s eye as a successful entrepreneur, running a thriving business. Envision yourself crossing the finish line, achieving your goals, and living the life you want.
Picture yourself being interviewed by the media, giving talks at conferences, and being recognized as an expert in your field. Focus on how good it feels to be successful, and let that feeling empower you to take action. When you can see yourself succeeding, it becomes easier to take the necessary risks to make your vision a reality.
So spend some time each day visualizing what success will look like for you and your business. Your success doesn’t need to happen overnight; if you’re persistent, focused, and willing to take calculated risks over time, you’ll eventually get there.
And even if you don’t reach your goal this year or next year or five years from now, it’s okay—you’re taking steps toward achieving them every day. Keep following the path that will lead you there!
Create a plan
If you’re an entrepreneur, chances are you’re no stranger to fear and risk. After all, starting a business is a risky proposition. But just because it’s risky doesn’t mean you should let fear hold you back. In fact, many of the most successful entrepreneurs have faced their fears head-on and gone on to build successful businesses.
Here are five tips for how to overcome your fear and risk of failure as an entrepreneur:
1) Create a plan.
The first step in overcoming your fear is creating a plan that addresses your fears. What are some of the biggest risks you face? What do you hope to accomplish with your business? Who do you need on board for this plan to work?
A solid plan will help take away some of the uncertainty surrounding your venture so that instead of focusing on what could go wrong, focus on what could go right!
2) Find support networks.
Entrepreneurship can be isolating. Many entrepreneurs feel alone in their journey, so they don’t share their worries or successes with others who may be able to provide support or guidance. It’s important to have strong support networks both inside and outside of your business.
Seek out mentors who know more than you do about entrepreneurship, find people with common interests at networking events, join online forums where people share success stories, or even start a mastermind group where members work together towards a common goal. It’ll make your world seem much smaller when you surround yourself with people who care about what you’re doing!
3) Keep your eye on the prize.
Have clear goals for what you want to achieve in life and then map out a strategy for achieving them. Yes, it may not always be easy but if we wait until everything is perfect before moving forward we’ll never get anywhere!
Get comfortable failing
We all know that failure is a part of life, but for entrepreneurs, it can feel like failing is part of their job description. After all, if you’re not failing, you’re not taking enough risks. And if you’re not taking enough risks, you’re not going to be successful.
So how do you get comfortable with failure? Here are a few tips on how to deal with fear and risk of failure as an entrepreneur.
1) Find your why.
If you don’t have one, find one. Your why should drive everything you do in business – so find the root of why you want to start your own company and hold onto it tightly.
2) Take action now! Don’t worry about what could happen or what might go wrong; just take the first step in the direction of success by getting out there and making things happen.
3) Stop comparing yourself to others! Comparisons are irrelevant when considering risk-taking because everyone has different skillsets and experiences, which means everyone will face different challenges along the way.
4) Practice self-compassion! When we fail, we tend to beat ourselves up over it. That’s okay…som
etimes…but too much negative reinforcement will eventually lead to burnout. Treat yourself like someone who’s cared about by doing something nice for yourself once in awhile, whether that’s a manicure or enjoying some time off after crunching through the last big project.
5) Embrace change! Instead of thinking of change as something to be avoided at all costs, see it as an opportunity for growth. The only way forward is through!