I’ve had my share of fear in business. I’m sure you have, too. It’s a horrible place to be. Fear in business can get on grip on your creativity and ingenuity that can be challenging to surmount.
Years ago, I heard it said that fear is “false evidence appearing real”. Although that truly is the case, anyone who has experienced any sort of fear in business understands that there seems to be nothing “false, bogus, or imagined” when you’re standing in a puddle of fear in your business.
Through the years of running my own business, and coaching entrepreneurs in launching and growing their businesses, I’ve noticed that fear seems to originate from several sources. The most common stem from these sources:
- Lack of belief in oneself – including one’s abilities, skills, or business idea
- Uncertainty – about the future, the economy, or the next best steps
- Cloudy vision – missing a mental picture of your future or at least as far as you can see
- Not knowing – lacking information, know-how, or understanding
- Lack of clarity – caused by lack of planning and time devoted to strategic thinking
Some amount of fear in business is a good thing. A dab of fear here and there, brings out our best and nudges us to perform the due diligence needed to make smart decisions.
Overwhelming fear in business, however, is the condition we want to avoid. It clouds our decision-making, slows our progress, and prompts us to “play it safe”. The end result? We become overly cautious and tentative.
How can you keep your business fear’s from getting the best of you? Here are 5 tactics that will help you keep your fears in business at a minimum:
1. Build a reserve. A reserve means you have more than enough of what you need. Whether it’s a shortage of cash or clients that has triggered fear in your business generating an excess in that particular area of concern immediately calms the nerves.
2. Set goals that are crystal clear. If I were to ask about your goals today, would you be able to give me an immediate response including the details? If you hesitate or need time to consider your response, your goals could benefit from some polishing to make them unambiguous to you.
Read on: Five Tips to Develop Clear Goals for Your Small Business
3. Hang out with others to avoid isolation. This is especially important if you’re working from a home-office. Admittedly, I love the notion of the short commute in my bunny slippers when working from my home-office but even as long as I’ve been in business, it can get awfully quiet. Rubbing up against the world – whether it’s online or offline – keeps you sharp, sparks your creativity, and dulls any fears in business.
Read on: It Takes a Village to Run a Successful Business
4. Focus on your strengths. If you spend a great deal of your time focusing on your inadequacies, you’re not alone. No wonder your business fears knock the wind out of your sails! Although it may seem that your shortcomings far outweigh your strengths, your strengths are much sharper and can easily cut through the thistles in your path. Lead with your strengths every day.
Read on: Yes, You Can!
5. Appreciate what you have and who you are. Studies have demonstrated that appreciation is the quickest way to attracting what you really want which invariably the opposite of what you fear in your business. Spend the first and last 5 minutes of your day mentally listing all you appreciate about yourself and your life.
Is fear slowing down your business growth? What tactics are you implementing to keep your fear in business at a minimum?
Here’s one tactic to erase your business fears: subscribe to our blog to make sure you’re up to date with trends, tips, and tactics for growing your small business. 😀
