What scares you?
Ghosts, goblins, and ghouls…
Zombies, werewolves, and vampires…
Change, technology and failure….
There are lots of spooky things in this world and some of them don’t go away after Halloween. In fact, our biggest fears often have little to do with jack-o-lanterns and hairy eight-legged creatures.
The big fears that hold us back are:
- Fear of not being good enough
- Fear of being found out that you don’t know what you’re doing
- Fear of failure and making mistakes
- Fear of judgment and criticism
- Fear of change
- Fear of the unknown
- Fear of technology
- Fear of public speaking
- Fear of putting yourself out there
- Fear of sales and marketing
- Fear of posting on social media
Do any of these fears haunt you? Maybe not all, but I’m guessing there are a few that creep up on you. No one is safe from fear! But, the good news is, you’re not alone.
Fear is like the Grim Reaper, eventually making the rounds to EVERYONE – especially entrepreneurs. For me, it’s the fear of not being good enough and the fear of failure (and spiders…).
Fear can slow you up and even block you completely from your goals. So what do we do? It’s not about eliminating the fear, but moving forward in spite of it.
Don’t Resist. Reframe.
As the saying goes, what we resist, persists. Resisting fear takes a lot of energy. Resisting fear keeps us small. Instead, take charge and reframe the fear in your mind. Here are three ways to do it:
- Reframe as a challenge. Fear doesn’t always mean stop. Some fears are critical to keeping you safe – like the fear of a wild grizzly bear or the creepy lurker in the parking lot. But, other fears are meant to be conquered. They want to be conquered. Reframe these fears as a challenge.
- Reframe as excitement. New level, new devil. Facing fears is part of growth. As we conquer one level, we progress to the next level with the bigger, badder dragon. Your heart rate goes up, you feel the nervous energy, and butterflies in your stomach.
Have you noticed this is exactly what happens when you’re super excited about something? Your heart rate goes up, you feel the nervous energy, and the butterflies in your stomach. Take the feeling of fear and reframe it as excitement in your body. It’s thrilling!
- Reframe as being present. Feel the fear. It’s tempting to run away or stick your head in the sand. But, fear is really just a bad feeling and it won’t stay forever. Face it head-on by taking a deep breath and letting the feeling of fear wash over you.
Simply be present with it. Respect it. Thank it, for it’s trying to protect you – and then continue on.
Fear is part of the journey, and you’ll come across it often in the path of entrepreneurship. The only way to get to the other side is to go through it. These reframes will help you do just that.
