The dreams and entrepreneurial spirt of most individuals are often stimmed by the boogey man of Fear. Like an athlete that has worked hard at planning and preparing for the Olympics, entrepreneurs often find themselves on the starting blocks in the set position waiting for the starting gun to go off, however unlike the track athlete that is waiting for someone else to pull the trigger, the one holding the starter pistol is the entrepreneur, and for one reason or another they never squeeze the trigger.
If you are still in the set position at the starting blocks of your business where, it feels so much more comfortable to imagine the potential of what could be, than to pull that trigger and face the negative what if’s, be assured by turning fear from foe to friend not only prepares you to reach your mark, it allows you to welcome the sound of the starters gun and keeps you focused on every aspect of the race to achieve your desired goal.
A change of mindset will be required, as fear will now become a strategic partner in your plans to succeed. The what ifs do not come to the surface from the subconscious without fear, so instead of dismissing them as destructive and/or pessimistic thoughts which may thwart the attainment of your goals, fear can now be seen as the driving mechanism which reminds you of the what ifs so that you can tackle them head on.
The bottom line, all businesses want to see positive numbers at the close of the day. Positive numbers however do not just happen in a vacuum but are the outcomes of actions taken to avoid failure. The fear of what if I fail, should be acknowledged as a siren call to ensure that all the ducks are in a row, all the I’s dotted and t’s crossed, and all the boxes checked. When seen and embraced as a negative, doubt, procrastination and shelving can become the engulfing mindset. As a partner it becomes a motivator which pushes you to focus on planning and preparation to avoid any shortcomings and oversights. The knowledge of having a plan that you trust and believe in builds a level of self-confidence, making squeezing the trigger a natural reaction in the process of your goal achievement.
All businesses experience crisis, the first step in managing the crisis is avoiding the knee jerk reactionary decisions or unresponsiveness both brought about by fear and both which will negatively impact the company’s desired goals. Fear rather should be looked upon as the activator to the sense of urgency. With fear as your partner when crisis occur it changes the earlier mentioned reactions to swift thinking, suitable, and deliberate corrective actions which target the root cause of the crisis.
The journey of the entrepreneur will be unpredictable, obstacles and opposition to success are inevitable, overcoming and turning both into steppingstones requires a change mindset with respect to Fear. Changing fear from Boogeyman to positive partner, increases your ability and focus on paying attention to detail, builds confidence in your plans, and motivates to push through paralyzing procrastination. The What if’s will undoubtedly pop into the mind, and the hesitation to pull the trigger may occur, instead of allowing fear to keep you stuck in the blocks, now let it propel you full steam ahead to attack the finish line of success.
Keith M. Dean / CEO & Founder- The BusinessofU