I Love Fear…and Why You Should, Too

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We’re all glad to have fear for things that could cause bodily harm. It helps us make quick decisions to avoid physical injury and I’m all for that. But often, fear can hold entrepreneurs back from doing more, having more, being more. That is unacceptable!

The most outrageous dreams make you feel alive, challenged, and at the same time, petrified. When starting out in life, we are filled with so much hope and so many unlimited aspirations with little thought to the fears we will experience along the way. However, for so many of us, as life starts challenging us, we begin to set limits on our imaginations and dreams. Why? Because we are scared!

Pick a fear, any fear! Fear of failure; fear of success; fear of the unknown; fear of what others might think; fear of the reality of your situation; fear of rejection; fear of commitment; fear of change; fear of losing your job; fear of uncertainty about your future; fear of making decisions; fear of conflict; fear that you don’t know enough; and on and on. I’ve heard them all (and felt most of them myself)!

And what do we do when we feel one of these fears? Far too often we retreat. We freak out, we whine and complain and we avoid that uncomfortable feeling at all costs. And this reaction gets us absolutely nowhere fast. Not-so-entrepreneurial, huh?

Becoming a successful entrepreneur requires that you learn to work with your fears.

I love fear! You see, fear is really a wonderful tool. It’s the number one indicator that something really matters to you and deserves your immediate attention. When you are scared about some upcoming event or change or idea, it’s usually your body’s way of screaming at you to figure it out. It’s telling you that whatever is in front of you is important – that it matters! Isn’t it nice that fear does all that for you?

So, use this tool wisely! Learn to think through (instead of always feeling through) those fears and make informed decisions. Here’s a simple exercise to help you do just that. Get out a pen and paper and answer the following:

1. What are you really afraid of? (Just say it)
2. List all the possible horrible outcomes that you imagine. (Go ahead, list away)
3. List all the potentially great outcomes, you know, if everything goes your way. (Probably weren’t thinking about this now, were you?)
4. Where in this scenario do you have complete control? (Yep, you have a lot more than you think)
5. Where in this scenario do you have influence? (Quite a bit of this, too)
6. Where in this scenario do you have no control? (There’s always something here)
7. What are you going to do about it? (Go forth!)

Here’s an abbreviated example from one of my Audacity Coaching clients who dreams of becoming an entrepreneur, but has let fear hold her back from taking the plunge yet:

1. Fear: I’m afraid of failing at entrepreneurship because no one will want to hire me.
2. Horrible outcomes: I will be broke; not enough people will want what I offer; undesirable to other companies; embarrass my friends and family; set my career backwards instead of forwards; have no dreams left; etc.
3. Potentially great outcomes: I will be self-made; tons of people will want what I offer; make my friends and family proud; launch my career into the stratosphere; feel the satisfaction of living my dream; etc.
4. Complete control: If and when I give up on this dream; how hard I work; etc.
5. Influence: Marketing my work appropriately; network with the right people; become an expert in my line of work; etc.
6. No control: Whether or not any particular person decides to hire me; etc.
7. My choice: _______________ (I’ll leave that part up to you!)

By busting out your analytical side using these 7 questions, you can partner with fear to see the whole picture and make strategic decisions about what to do next. And you’ll also take some of the power out of the fear so you can keep pushing ahead. Fear is real, but that doesn’t mean that it should make your decisions for you. Look at your fears, analyze them, and then decide for yourself who is going to win – your fears or your courage!

How do you embrace fear?