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How to Overcome Your Fear of Failure as a Female Entrepreneur
Learn how to overcome your fear of failure as an entrepreneur with this simple 10 minute exercise. Fear of failure can keep so many entrepreneurs stuck in their comfort zone, learn how to break out of yours.
How to Overcome Your Fear of Failure
as a Female Entrepreneur
April 18, 2019
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Fear of failure as an entrepreneur is a real freakin’ thing.
Maybe right now you are afraid of failing in the moment because you're doing something and all of those fears keep popping up for you that this might not work out.
Maybe you're thinking of taking the leap, thinking of taking action and the fear of failure is playing over and over in your head.
Today I want to talk to you about the fear of failure and how it doesn't have to be your story and I'm going to give you the number one question to ask yourself if you are ready to face your fears.
I've been an entrepreneur for three years now and when I tell you that fear of failure is something that I have seriously struggled with, I am not lying
In the beginning, I was almost paralyzed by my fear of failure. I almost did not start this business because I was really scared of what it could ultimately mean for my family. What people would think about me? What would people think about my decision to leave a nine to five to pursue this dream when I had a brand new baby?Would just think I was absolutely insane if it didn't work out?
I put a lot of time and energy into this business and I'm so lucky that it did work out, but don't think for a second that those fears of failure, or any fears for that matter, are not constantly coming up.
You've probably heard of the saying new level new devil - It doesn't go away, but I've learned a couple of strategies that help me move through that fear faster and that's what I want to talk to you about today.
The fear of failure is ultimately keeping you stuck. It's keeping you stuck in this cycle, in this comfortable space. Think about it, fears pop up when we're questioning something.
When we're taking a leap of faith, when we're thinking about taking action towards our dreams, that's when fears come up.
And so I like to believe that fear is your heart's way of telling you that you are ready and it's up to you to listen to that fear and believe that fear.
You can then choose to stay comfortable or to face that fear and see what amazing, beautiful things that you can create in this one life that you have.
When you start looking at the fear of failure as your heart being like, “Whoa, let's do this dang thing,” It shifts everything for you.
Now, let’s talk about how to deal with fears that are coming up for you at this moment. You know all of those dark hole things that are playing over and over in your head and they're keeping you up at night.
TRY THIS EXERCISE
Take a moment, get a piece of paper, get your phone out and I want you to write down all of those worst case scenarios. No, seriously do that like right now, like write out your worst case scenarios.
Now I want you to look at that list you've just created and I want you to ask yourself, truly, is this really possible? Am I really going to let it get to this place?
We make up all these worst case scenarios in our head and we never actually look at them and bring attention to them, but the second that we do, sometimes were like, wow, that's a little ridiculous.
That's the power of the mind, man. It could take us into some dark, dark places, but now you have an opportunity, you have a choice. You've seen what is playing over in your mind and you have a choice to say, no, I'm not going to let that happen.
I'm not going to let these dark black hole thoughts keep me in my comfort zone and keep me safe because this place of safety of comfort is where so many entrepreneurs either plateau or never get enough momentum to get started and I don't want you to stay there now.
Ok, let’s get into the number one question to ask yourself if the fear of failure is something that is truly affecting you.
BEST QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
I want you to think of someone that you absolutely admire. Maybe it's somebody in the online space, maybe it's somebody in your personal life. I know for me, Oprah, she basically always comes to mind. I remember being that girl running home from school at 4:30 watching Oprah on TV.
Fill in the blank with your person & ask yourself the following:
Where would you be if Oprah or that person, let fear lead the way?
Where would you be if that person didn't take action?
Where would you be if that person allowed fear to keep them safe?
My guess is that you'd be in a completely different life or situation than you are now and that is exactly my point.
It has to be about more than just you running this business. Being an entrepreneur isn't really about you. At the end of the day, it's about the people who need to hear from you.
It's about the people who will be impacted by your work. They need you to show up. They need you to get your voice out there. They need you to take action.
So think about it. Who is that person who needs you? Even if one person is affected by you, you have made a difference and that creates a ripple effect that then affects somebody else and someone else and someone else.
If you start taking action, think about all of the people that will then be affected by that.
Anytime that fear comes up, I think about the people I'm able to impact. So where would you be if so and so didn't show up and who are you meant to impact?
It's a ripple effect and it starts with you right now at this moment.
I know that those fears that are coming up for me are not true, that I can rewrite my story and that so many people need to hear my message.
Please share your biggest takeaways from this blog post and how you’re going to implement this information in your own business!
P.S. Are we connected on Instagram? No? Well lady what’s happening here we’ve got to fix that. Come hang out with me on my favorite social media platform. Follow for inspiration and send me a DM to know we’re connected.
Blog Resources
Three Steps to Overcome a Place of Fear
As we enter into the last month of the year I've been thinking a lot about fear and my personal journey into the entrepreneur world. I've seen a lot of growth in myself, my peers and my clients over the past year, but I've also seen a lot of people staying stuck.
To truly move forward in life and business, you have to recognize when you are acting from a place of fear. My fears often come up around money or letting down the people I love most. Where are your fears coming up?
In January, I had a desire to leave by 9 to 5, and although I was scared sh*tless, I invested in a coach. I have to be honest with you, if I would have allowed myself to act from a place of fear I would not of left my 9 to 5 in 2016 and would still be in a state of just dreaming. Over the past year I've developed a process to recognize these deep fears, to move past them and live in a moment of trust.
I'd love to offer you in this moment three things that you can do when fear starts to arise in your life. My hope Is that you will be able to recognize these feelings as feelings of fear and learn to trust yourself, the Universe and the growth that is in store for you.
So no matter what you're currently facing, where fear may be showing up for you, by using the following steps you will start to go from a place of fear and overwhelm to a place of love and trust.
three step process to recognize when acting from a place of fear
Step 1 - Recognize the fear.
Often times when we start to feel overwhelmed with the possibility of a negative outcome we will lash out, yell, cry or just throw ourselves into busy work. When this starts happening in your life take a second to sit in stillness, close your eyes and just breathe. Take a moment to really recognize and acknowledge these feelings as a state of fear.
Step 2 - What's the worst that could happen?
When I was thinking about leaving my 9 to 5 and feeling overwhelmed with the fear that I could possibly let my family down, my coach asked me this simple question, "What's the worst that could happen Michelle?" For me it was that I might have to wait tables a few nights a week; definietely not a reason to NOT go after something that could drastically improve my life and the life of my family. To not go for something, that could impact our lives, because we're fearful of a terrifying outcome, is just ridiculous. So next time this feeling comes up for you reflect and ask yourself "what's the worst that could happen?" I bet it isn't as scary as your fears are telling you it is.
Step 3 - Ask for guidance.
Now, I'm not proposing you ask a family or friend for guidance, I truly believe the answer lies within you and you know exactly how you should act. What I'm proposing is you verbally ask yourself for advice. Ask yourself and the Universe for the advice and guidance that you need. So often we have an idea or opportunity and we instantly knock it down, we don't look deeper enough to recognize that we were acting from a place of fear. When we act suddenly without any sort of thought or reflection we are allowing ourselves to move further and further into fear. The answer you are searching for is inside, you just have to ask.
I want you to make yourself a promise. Promise yourself that you will start to recognize these feelings; that you will really reflect on them and that you will make decisions based on your passions, your purpose and how you want your story to end. Don't let fear dictate your life, trust me when I tell you it really isn't worth it, life on the other side of fear is so beautiful.
I mean what's the worst that could happen?
BE MERRY!
Michelle Knight
P.S. If you are ready to break free of these limitations and the fears that keep coming up for you and ready to step into your true purpose of impacting the world then you want to take advantage of one of my 5 spots left for 2016. Overcoming limitations is just one aspect of my program Passport to Freedom, but is so important in order to step into your true purpose. Learn more here >>
3 Steps to Release Your Fears
"Everything you want is on the other side of fear" -Jack Canfield
The other day I had a moment of absolute fear. It was so consuming that I called my husband in tears. After a long talk about what was holding me back and him reassuring me that he believes in me with all of his being, yeah I got super lucky with him as a partner, I felt better, but drained. Why was I continuing to let fear control parts of life? I've been fighting this battle for years and even though I continue to release it, it seems to sneak back in.
The next morning I was getting ready to meditate and pulled one of my motivation cards. I pulled the "Invite Fear Over For Tea" card. I've pulled this card before and was about to put it back when I felt called to keep it out and make it my focus for the day. What came up for me over the next twenty minutes was life changing.
During my meditation I decided to write a goodbye letter to my fears. I proceeded to write in my journal the following letter.
Dear Fear,
I see you, I hear you and I don’t want you any longer. It is time to hit the road and release this hold you have on me. I’ve been walking in tandem with you for years and we just can’t be connected any longer. I don’t need you anymore. I don’t need you as a crutch any longer. I’m ready to do it with my whole heart and soul and I just can’t do it with you around.
There was a time when you actually brought a little comfort to my life. When I could count on you/blame you to get me out of situations I wasn’t 100% sure of, but now you are consuming me. We have been together too long now and I’ve become dependent on you.
I know you’ll never leave on your own so this is my final goodbye. I’m releasing you to never find you again. This isn’t temporary, we’ve done that before, this is permanent. It’s time for drastic change and I’m ready physically, mentally and emotionally to release you from my soul.
It’s time for me to stand alone, free from fear and put myself and my talents out into this world. It’s time to live freely.
No longer yours,
Michelle Knight
Here is the thing about fears, we all have them. It's how we choose to react to them that dictates our lives. Are you hiding in fear? What are you holding back from because you are afraid of the outcome?
I've created a list of the top three steps to release your fears. Seriously don't wait another minute to say goodbye to your fears.
The immediate release I felt after following these steps and releasing the fears that have been paralyzing me for years felt like nothing else. Is it easy to release them, absolutely not, but it is worth it. Yes, you may have to repeat steps 1 to 3 multiple times in your life, but each time will get easier and you will come out stronger than before.
Three steps to release your fears:
Get to the core - journal with the intention of asking yourself Why Am I Afraid? and I’m not talking the first answers that come to your mind - you have to explore the underlying fears and where they are coming up and why.
Pinpoint Where they are holding you back - Take those fears and pinpoint exact moments in your life where those fears have held you back. Relive those moments and connect on an emotional level. I want you to feel those fears so you can finally come to terms with how toxic they are.
finally Release them - verbally, emotionally and physically let it go. Verbally - Say “{INSERT FEAR} I release you and the hold you have on me." Emotionally - Feel it in your soul that you are free of this fear and the emotional hold it has on you. Don’t just say it - Believe it! Physically - I encourage you to physically release the hold fear has on you. My favorite ways include burning your fear (although I’m not responsible for damage so please practice safety) and writing a letter.
If you are serious about releasing your fears and getting to the root of what has been holding you back, it is time to get help. In my 90 Day Passport to Freedom program we uncover what fears and limitation are holding you back from reaching your life of freedom. Uncovering your fears is just as essential as getting your sales funnel in order, and dare I say more important. You can't possible go forward in your business without doing the dirty work and digging down deep. I'd love to support you on this journey >>
Be Merry!
Michelle Knight
Facing Your Fears {Surface-level Shit}
Whether you have a fear of heights, water, public speaking (which if this is you you definitely need to watch my free webinar replay) or something else - it is time to start facing those surface level fears and stop letting them dictate your power.
I personally have always had a fear of heights.
You would never find me standing near a ledge, jumping off rocks or really even going in elevators at a young age. My husband on the other hand, most definitely does not have a fear of heights. It’s not uncommon to see him scaling rocks with absolutely no equipment or jumping off of 40-foot waterfall in Costa Rica; yeah I almost had a heart attack with that one.
When we started dating he was constantly pushing me and pushing me and pushing me to face my fear of heights, but I was not budging. I remember a time in Yosemite when we were there with his whole family and they were all jumping off this rock into the water. I was so scared, but I eventually climbed up the rock, already hard enough on its own, and waited to jump. Needless to say I ended up in tears, climbed down a little bit and jumped off a lower rock. It’s hard to explain, but the feeling I get when I am on the edge of something is an all-encompassing feeling in my whole entire body that the worst is about to happen.
So why am I telling you this? I’m telling you this because I know you can relate. I bet there is a surface level fear you are dealing with that is holding you back in your everyday life.
That rock in Yosemite made me realize that I was sitting back on a lot of fun adventures because I was letting my fear consume me. From then on I made it a point to try one thing that scared me every year when we took our annual anniversary vacation. Since Yosemite in 2012 I’ve walked across a rope bridge in Ireland, stood at the edge of Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, zip lined in Oregon, stood in the glass case at the Sears Tower, hiked to the top of a waterfall in Costa Rica and just recently went indoor rock climbing with my husband. Each one of these experiences has made me get out of my comfort zone and pushed me past my limits - and each of these experiences has carried over into my everyday life.
I’m becoming more adventurous in my decisions, in taking chances and yes, in climbing to the top!
Facing Your Fears:
Helps you grow as an individual and business owner
Makes you feel as if you can accomplish anything (especially if it is a fear you've held on to for years)
Teaches you that YOU have the power
Gives you a new perspective on life and what you've been holding back from
That’s the trick with facing your fears at the surface level, it opens up the opportunity for new possibilities you might normally ignore out of fear. I want you to remember that every small step you take every chance that you have to face these fears is really a chance for a new beginning.
By facing our fears a little bit at a time we are slowly breaking away the layers that are holding us back.
