Afraid to fail? Don’t let it stop you from getting started!
“Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and get excited about what could go right!”
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Today my advice is a little more personal. Today I want you to decide to stop letting your fear of failure get in the way of your success.
Look, I know. If you're reading this, you're probably thinking, "But I'm not afraid? I have real, legitimate struggles to overcome before I can do anything at all."
I wholeheartedly disagree, and here's why!
Let's try this to start. Answer the statement below. You have to answer immediately, with whatever comes to mind (no hesitating here!).
Tell me 3 things that are stopping you from moving forward on your dreams, right now.
❶ …
❷ …
❸ …
Now, what were your answers?
Whether you actually wrote them down, commented below, said them out loud, whispered it to yourself, or if you were too afraid to even speak them aloud, your answers are probably pretty insightful.
Want to know what mine used to be?
❶ Money
❷ Time
❸ Fear of failing
If mine match yours exactly, or even if just 1 was the same, then I feel ya. COMpletely! I've been there. Hell, I'm still there sometimes. But you know what?
Only one of those is what tends to stop us in our tracks: the fear of failing.
You can't be successful, if you've never even started.
Simple right? What are we really so afraid of anyway?
Wouldn't you rather know you tried?
Know that you poured everything you had into trying, starting, and working at it, than to always wonder if you could have done it?
Wondering what would've happened if you had just started?
That, my friend, is what finally got me up off my ass and start taking action. I couldn't wait anymore; I HAD TO KNOW the answers to those questions.
“It takes as much energy to wish, as it does to plan.”
I had to find out for myself!
…And Launch the Damn Thing® would not be here today, if I hadn't.
Two tips from a great book
I've been reading Carrie Green’s book, She Means Business and she’s created not 1, but 2 successful online businesses. (You might've heard of FEA: Female Entrepreneur Association?)
In her book, she gives you stories of successful entrepreneurs she knows personally, and talks about their struggles & her own.
Here are the two things Carrie said that really caught my attention & had a lasting impression on me as I was growing my own business from scratch.
❶ Success doesn't happen by accident!
You have to move forward; take action and make it happen on purpose.
Like you were thinking before: yes, there absolutely are real-life road blocks to getting started. Money, Time and Fear are all actually real & legitimate obstacles. I'm not discounting that.
I'm an idealist though; I won't say I'm optimistic, because too often I'm not at all & they aren't really the same thing, are they? I worry about and overanalyze things way more than I should. That being said though, I naturally think a lot of things are possible, when most people don't.
This is a silly example, but I'm going to use it anyway:
When we moved into our cabin, I knew I needed a home office space, but I wasn't sure where to put it. I didn't even own a desk anymore! So, I looked online ––everywhere. Overstock, Amazon, Ikea, Wayfair, Target, Walmart and more! Nobody had both the style and function I needed that also fit my low budget.
What do you do when you can't find what you want out in the world? You have to make it happen!
So, instead of settling for something I didn't really want, something beautiful but not wholly functional, I decided I'd make it happen. If I couldn't find it out there in the world, I'd make it myself.
So, I got on Pinterest (because, of course!) and looked for inspiration. I wanted something both modern and rustic. I needed depth to fit my computer, keyboard, and Wacom tablet in front of me as I design (because I use all 3, basically always). I also needed length, so I can have clear desk space to write, draw and create, but also to have space for my printer, scanner, etc.. By now we're talking, about 3 ft deep (about 1 meter), and about 10 ft (about 3 meters) long. I wanted glass for the top (flat surface for drawing & easy to keep clean), and I wanted open shelving underneath, and drawers for storage.
Something like that would've cost me several hundred dollars if I'd bought it. Even ugly, basic and boring formica office desks that size cost a few hundred, USED. It was crazy!
“Chase your dreams, while others are still wishing.”
I found my ideas, pinned them to my Home Office board on Pinterest, and started looking on Craigslist for filing cabinets or nightstands to support the table top, instead of traditional legs or posts. I found 2 matching nightstands for $60 that were perfect & snatched them up! I'm using free reclaimed wood planks for the table top, so the biggest expense is the glass. It's happening!!
Annnd I'll make sure to share some photos of it when I get it all setup! ;-)
Now, if I hadn't taken steps to MOVE FORWARD in my search for the perfect desk, I'd either have one I didn't really want, or I wouldn't have one at all, would I?
The same applies to you. There's always, always, always a way.
Need money to start a new venture? Use Kickstarter. Set up a website and start taking donations. Tell people what you're doing and get the word out there; no one can help you if they don't know what you want to do or how to help you.
“Will it be easy? Nope.
Will it be worth it? Yep!”
Need to make time to start an adventure? Sit down & look at your day. Figure out what you can nix from that list, and where you can change things up to create more time. Wake up an hour earlier, or go to bed an hour later. Use your lunch break if you have to. If you truly need more time, you'll find it when you look for ways to create it.
That brings me to the next thing Carrie said that I love!
❷ Create your own "future history."
I think Entrepreneurs are crazy, myself included. I think most people think that, actually. I mean, what are they really doing? They quit or will be leaving a steady 9-5 job, in order to try their hand at creating and running their own business(es), a lot of us with no degree or otherwise formal education in business administration or marketing. Even more of us with no business leadership or management experience! What the heck are we even thinking?! People are probably right to think we're crazy.
“An essential part of creativity is not being afraid to fail.”
And do you know what one of the funniest things is? I'm not actually a risk taker. I don't take risks, typically. I waited 4 years to finally get my nose pierced; I want a specific tattoo (just 1 word, small!) and I know exactly what I want, but I'm still waiting to make sure I don't change my mind! I mostly don't like roller coasters. I don't go anywhere without thinking about things I think my husband or I will need while we're away from home. I over pack when we go on vacation. I'm not a risk taker.
That being said, I think there's a real difference between taking risks, and knowing your true potential is actually possible.
So, if you know you can do it, then start taking action! Create your own future history. Create the future you see for yourself, and when you get there, your journey there will be your history. How brilliant is that?!
“I can & I will.
Watch me!”
Imagine what you want for yourself; write down those goals. We're less likely to achieve them if we don't make them real.
If you start now, and begin moving forward toward that big goal you've set for yourself. A year from now you will have reached it, or at least moved a hell of a lot closer to it.
