The Entrepreneur and Fear of the Unknown

There is nothing else that stops anyone from becoming entrepreneurs except fear. In the world of entrepreneurialism, fear is a huge hindrance to success. Fear is what stops us in our tracks when we should be moving forward. It magnifies risk, giving you the picture of an overwhelming obstacle. Worst of all, it still keeps your dream, but that dream never becomes a reality.

Employees who want to become entrepreneurs end up giving up because of fear. They go from seminar to workshop, looking for the right one that will help them overcome that fear. This is why seminar speakers are still making money.  What many fail to understand is that no one else can help you overcome that fear. You have to do it yourself.

The higher you go, the more intense your fear becomes. This is where entrepreneurs come in.  Yes, you may have scaled the hurdle from employee to entrepreneur, but there are still broke and successful entrepreneurs. Which one are you and which one do you plan to be?

Last 2 years when I was still trying to launch one of my start-up business I ended up loosing almost $8000 but I nearly give up till last year Nov when I invested another money and finally launched this site because I followed my gut without allowing the fear of unknown to be in control of me.

As an entrepreneur, you have more to worry about than the employee. For the employee, their concern is keeping the job. For you, you have your business, employees, customers and/or business partners to think about when making decisions. The crazy thing is you can’t push the responsibility and are accountable for every flaw.

Fear prevents you from taking your business to the next level. This is why getting rid of it is imminent. The first step to ridding yourself of fear is to look for its cause. It is only after this that you can do the following:

1. Think About What You Want

It is common for entrepreneurs to think of the worst case scenario when trying to make a decision. Although, we look at all outcomes of a decision, we tend to dwell on the negative ones. This thought pattern automatically instils fear and you end up not making any decision.

You need to concentrate on what you want and visualize yourself attaining it. However, this is not as easy as it sounds. This has a lot to do with your thought pattern and you need to learn how to change it.

2.      Share Your Issues

Two heads are better than one, only if the two are focused in the same direction. Sharing your troubles and fears is good but you don’t do that with just anyone. The people you surround yourself with largely influence your business, directly and indirectly.

A problem shared is a problem solved and this is only possible when your confidant supports you. Many entrepreneurs are surrounded by de-motivators in the guise of business partners or friends. You need to know the kind of people around you before voicing out.

3.      Have a Self-Help Library

Every entrepreneur is a reader, therefore keeping a little library full of personal development books should not be a problem. But don’t just buy any personal development book. Get those that target that problem you are trying to overcome. If you realize that your fear is related to embarking on costly projects, get books that target that area.

Buying all books you come in contact with won’t build a concise library for you. You need to know the right ones to retain and those to give out. Buying and retaining every recommended book would just overload you with information.

4.      Take That Bold Step

You can only take a bold step after you must have dealt with all other issues. Taking that step forward to do what you fear simply closes the door to that fear. It means that you have envisioned success in your thoughts as well as gotten advice from supporters and books. But don’t launch out unprepared- positively analyze your decision before taking the final leap. This way, you will have no regrets.

Fear can easily be overcome but it has its way of creeping back. Never take it for granted and always monitor yourself. As an entrepreneur, you are not limited to just one fear but multiple fears. Gun them down one at a time and you’ll have enough bullets left for any new comers.