Overcoming your fear

It’s only natural that every business owner goes through periods of doubt and uncertainty, regardless of how well or how badly the business is performing.

There’s so much of you personally vested in your business that at some point you will ask: Is all this work really worth it?

A recent article I read from E-Myth Worldwide looks at this question.

It’s the actions you take – or fail to take – that will determine the future of your business. In other words, what you think and do has the biggest influence on your results.

So how can you overcome the self-doubt and fear?

First, accept the inevitable. Experience has taught you that yes, it will hurt, but not for long and it’s better for you to just grin and bear it. It’s often the unknown that causes anxiety, so go ahead and accept that feelings of doubt will absolutely creep in. But it’s how you deal with them that matters.

Then, ask yourself which part of you is feeling the doubt. Is it the Technician in you? The Manager? The Entrepreneur? The more you can distinguish between these identities, the more you will be able to manage their conflicting demands on your time and energy.

Your next step is to develop your plan to deal with doubt, discouragement and uncertainty. Do you need to talk with someone you trust about how you are feeling? Do you need to go for a walk or get some other form of exercise? What else could you do to get yourself centred?

This is a deeply personal process: what works for you may not work for someone else. It’s really about identifying what can bring you back to your centre, and then using triggers to help you get there. Make a list, keep a reminder nearby, and visit it whenever the doubt surfaces.

You may also need to take some action in your business, but make sure you centre yourself before you make any significant business decisions.

Fear, uncertainty and doubt are rarely comfortable emotions to be with. But look at them for what they are: evidence that change is happening. The Technician within you is expressing the fear as a form of resistance to change. Change is inevitable. Change is also necessary if you are going to create the business and the life you really want. Isn’t that why you built your own business in the first place?

Follow this link to read the article in full and find out in more detail.