One of the most important things any business owner can learn is how to overcome fear in business. The only thing stopping them is that many business owners don’t even know that fear is running their business in the first place.
In our culture, fear is often mislabeled as stress. This is a massive problem. Due to our culture’s current obsession with ‘hustling’, stress is considered a good thing, when in reality it’s holding us back from facing our fears and succeeding in business.
This guide will take you through six signs that fear is running your business, and what you can do about it.
Signs You Need To Overcome Fear In Business
Being a Perfectionist
Though perfectionism could be seen as a positive trait in business, it’s actually often a symptom of fear. You may feel as if you need to make everything perfect to avoid criticism and failure. The reality is that nobody can be perfect, and if you don’t experience any criticism or failure as a business owner you won’t grow. Accepting your imperfections as a business owner will let you make mistakes and learn from them rather than fearing them.
Procrastination
Everybody procrastinates. Most people believe that you procrastinate due to a lack of drive, implying that you are too comfortable where you are to try to move forward. In reality, procrastination is essentially freezing from the fear of moving forward. If you face that fear
Never Taking Risks
One of the most common signs that you need to overcome fear in business is that you avoid risks at all costs. While every business risk needs to be logically weighed up, saying no to all of them will prevent your business from growing. Though often scary, taking a risk is what will teach you the most about business and could lead to the most progress.
Always Busy, Never Productive
In small business, ‘The Hustle’ is often looked at as the way to get ahead. You need to be burning at both ends to make progress, and if you aren’t you simply aren’t trying hard enough. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Constantly ‘hustling’ can actually be a sign that you are afraid, filling your time with plenty of work so that you don’t have to focus on the big stuff that will grow your business in the long run.
Saying Yes When You Want To Say No
We have all been through the start-up phase where you say yes to every job and opportunity you are offered, big or small, awesome or terrible. This is great when starting out as it introduces you to your limits and worth. The only issue is that business owners often continue this practice for far too long due to fear. It is okay to turn down work. Know your worth and remember that everything you say yes to, you are automatically saying no to something else.
Saying No When You Want To Say Yes
On the other side of the coin, it’s also common for business owners to say no too often out of fear of inadequacy. Saying no because you’re concerned you don’t know enough, aren’t qualified, or are just too busy, can all be excuses because you’re afraid to move forward and expand. If you’re given an opportunity that you have always hoped for, don’t turn it down out of fear.
In order to grow your business, you must first identify and face any fears you may have about moving forward. Accepting that you have these symptoms of fear is the first step to overcoming your fear in business.
Remember that your fears are not your enemy. Fears are there for a reason, and as soon as you can identify what that reason is and logically confront your fears you will be able to overcome them and move forward.
If you have any questions about overcoming fear and want to connect with
Have an awesome day,
Angela
