8 Ways to Overcome Your Fears in Business | Ep 12

Fear. We’ve all encountered it to varying degrees, in different forms, and across different seasons of our lives. Fear is not something we can just duck or hide from. It inevitably meets us any where we are no matter who we are. The question then is, how do we stand in the face of fear? Do we panic or do we persevere? Do we see beyond it, or is fear so blinding that we are unable to see anything else but fear? 

If you own a small to medium sized business, chances are, fear has met you at every turn. I know because I’ve experienced the same. And let’s be real, so has almost every other person who has taken a leap of faith and started his or her own business. Off the bat, let me say this: fear does not make you less worthy of doing what you do. On the contrary, when we adjust our perspective of fear, it might actually become more of a friend than it is an enemy. 

In the classic story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wizard is portrayed as a mysterious and powerful character, capable of doing extraordinary things. Later on, Dorothy and her friends discover that the Wizard was just a plain ordinary old man. As we pull back the curtains on our fears, our experience of it can be very similar to Dorothy’s when she pulled the curtain back, revealing the Wizard for who he really was.

Here are 8 ways to pull back the curtain on fear so that you can push forward in the face of it. Let’s get started.

Tip 1 : Place Yourself and Your Business within a Bigger Context

What does your business stand for? Do you aim to uplift the lives of your customers and shareholders through your product or service? Or is there a marginalized community that stands to gain from the success of your business? 

Give your business a deeper purpose that contributes something good in the grand scheme of things. Knowing what this is can ground you as you stand in the face of fear. It can serve to remind you of why you do what you do and why you should press on in spite of all the things that are causing you to be fearful and anxious. Having a bigger picture to look at is a purposeful strategy to get fear out of the way.

Tip 2: Commit to Daily Micro-Goals

Have you noticed how fear often starts with one small thought and then snowballs into something big enough that it prevents us from moving forward? It can be a thought as simple as, “My idea sucks.” You start from there, and before you know it, you think the whole world is against you, stomping down on your ideas and dreams before they even have a chance to grow. Such is the nature of fear. It always pretends to be bigger than it actually is.

Here’s a concrete and practical way to build healthy boundaries against these fearful thoughts: commit to accomplishing at least one micro-goal daily. The idea is to fight emotion with motion, as they say. At the beginning of every week, set small, simple, doable goals for each day (nothing too big or too complicated) and commit to doing them. 

Not only does this build a good habit, it recalibrates your mind to celebrate small wins as opposed to dwelling on small fears. And who knows, these small acts of affirmation might just snowball into something big enough that it propels you to move forward with confidence and grace. 

Tip 3: Get out of Your own Head Regularly

Process. Process. Process. No man is an island, therefore, no business owner is an island either. Talk to the people who are closest to you and share your journey with them. Family, friends, mentors...basically, people you trust to hear you out and have your best interest in mind. Oftentimes, our fears grow because we allow them to simmer for too long inside our own heads. 

Letting these thoughts and apprehensions out within a safe group can be far more helpful than trying to fight an internal battle against them on your own. Speak your mind, and be ready to listen as well. You never know how others can speak life and wisdom into your situation. Make it a regular thing so that fears don’t settle and get too comfortable in your head. After all, that’s precious space where fresh ideas should be simmering, not fears!

Tip 4: For every “what if it fails?” answer “what if it flies?”

Most of our fears are driven by a countless number of “what ifs?” that tend to lean towards the side of failure. What if this investment goes wrong? What if they hate my idea? What if no one sees the value of my business? What if this. What if that. 

Make a conscious effort to match every “what if it fails?” with a “what if it flies?” What if this investment brings an early return? What if they think it’s a brilliant idea? What if my business creates far greater value for my community than I’d expected? Balance it out. 

There will always be “what ifs?” that lean towards the side of failure as long as you are in business. But rather than making it a goal to get rid of them, a more realistic goal is to be able to manage them. Start with “what ifs?” that lean towards the side of success. Who knows what other tricks you’ll discover as you go along?

Tip 5: Place the Spotlight on the Customer, not the Competition

There are some fears that are fueled by comparing your business with the competition. To be sure, this is healthy to a certain degree. If looking at the competition drives you to pursue greater excellence in your own business, then that is wonderful. But if it inspires a fear of failure or a fear of not being good enough, then this comparison is definitely unhealthy. 

One way to fight against that tendency is to focus on your customer and keep your competition in the periphery. In other words, know what they’re up to, but don’t dwell on them too much. Put the spotlight on your customer and make every effort to provide them with the best quality product or service. Be energetic in your pursuit to serve them better. Combat fear with faithfulness to your commitment to your customer. It’ll take you farther than focusing on your competition. 

Tip 6: Be as sure of your Strengths as you are of your Weaknesses

One of the common ways that fear is able to keep us stuck is by capitalizing on our weaknesses. It is so easy to think too much of our weaknesses and too little of our strengths. So much so that before we know it, we are absolutely certain of all the ways we are weak and unable, but doubtful of all the ways we are strong and capable. 

Fight back. Your strengths should be as clear to you as your weaknesses are, and you can capitalize on them as much as you see fit. It’s ok. It’s not cocky of you to know what you’re good at. Neither is it arrogant of you to be true to yourself in these areas. Go ahead and grow in your areas of strength as much as, if not more than, you grow in your areas of weakness. This way, you’ll know that you are giving the best of yourself to your business, your shareholders, and to your customers.

Tip 7: Get Equipped

Learn. Learn. Learn. Fear thrives on the unknown. It takes the unknown and uses it against you. The good news is that this could potentially be a catalyst for you to grow in knowledge and skills that could further equip you as you run your business. 

As I mentioned earlier, fight emotion with motion. Unlocking new skills and achievements would just be icing on the cake!

Tip 8: Let Fear Hide you, but don’t let it Drive you or Direct your Path

Lastly, see fear for what it really is--a guide. Fear can serve you well as long as you never let it master you. Pull the curtain back on your fears and find out what’s at the root of each one. Address them in a calm, level-headed way. 

As you do this, not only do you become a better business owner, but a better person as well. And who knows, one day, you could take all you’ve learned and pay it forward to other men and women who would need the same encouragement in the future as you did today. 

Pull the curtain back on your fears. In the end, perhaps you’ll be happy to find that they’re really not as bad as you think.