I’ve decided to do a 5 part series on my blog to focus on what I believe are the 5 habits that a successful business owner should have and should cultivate in others. This week we’ll start with habit #1 and each week afterwards for 5 weeks we’ll focus on another healthy habit. Stay tuned each week and journey with me through these habits and how you can make them a reality in your life!
Habit number 1: Be Fearless.
No business owner in the history of business owners started their business without a little bit of fear. We’re human and it’s impossible not to feel fear, even just for a moment. Starting a new business is huge and there are a lot of sacrifices involved in getting started. It’s inevitable that your brain will think, “what if my business fails?”, “what if nobody likes the product?”, or “What if I can’t make enough money?”. These are all very valid questions and the fear associated with them is also completely valid! It IS scary to think about your business failing or not making enough money to support your family.
Being fearless does not mean you never have fear, it means not allowing that fear to dictate how you act or what you do. Being fearless means looking that fear straight in the eye and then choosing not to follow it. When you are scared you might fail, you choose to work hard and allow failures to teach you rather than destroy you.
A successful business owner passes on this fearless attitude to those around her (or him!) and helps them to overcome their fears as well. The question is, how do you become fearless and what are some habits you can bring into your own routine?
1. Don’t let fear stop you from taking action. When it comes to your work, never let the excuse be “Oh I couldn’t because I was afraid it wouldn’t work.” Your fear may never leave you but it doesn’t mean that you can’t still pursue your dreams. Be fearless despite your fear.
2. Know why you are afraid. When it comes down to it, a lot of times there is a reason why you feel fear about a particular thing. When you can reflect on why you feel a certain way and where that fear is stemming from (perhaps you failed as a kid and you’re afraid to be embarrassed like that again), you will be more equipped to release those fears. Take the time to self-reflect each time you are feeling fear and then be sure to shower yourself with positive TRUTH that focuses on how you are NOT what your fear is telling you you are.
3. Encourage others. Everybody has fears and when you take the time to encourage someone else in their fears, you will find that it actually can help you to overcome your own. Not only that, but as you share your positive vibes with others, I’m sure you’ll also find some of those coming back your way as people turn to encourage you as well. It will come full circle and everyone will reap the benefits of encouraging each other to overcome their fears.
Which of these three habits do you need to work on most in your life? I’d love to hear about your fear journey and how you’ve overcome some fear (great or small) in your life. Share in the comments below and I’ll be sure to get back to you!
Stay tuned for next week as we dig deep into the second habit of a successful business owner!