Last month I had the opportunity to be the keynote speaker at a wedding industry event. In telling my story, I highlighted three components of growth that benefitted me. Here is the first lesson: not all fear is the same.
Shortly after starting my accounting practice, I learned the first of three lessons: not all fear is created equal. My fear was the fear of failure. This fear wasn’t an irrational fear or phobia. Nor was it one that was immediately imminent. Instead, it was based on past failure and the reality that success was not guaranteed. At first I viewed it as a negative emotion, but then I began to see that it could be the fuel that was necessary to grow my business. I knew that sitting back and wallowing in that fear could bring it to fruition, so my only option was to face the fear and prove it wrong. When you face fear in your business you need to do three things:
- Determine if it is a legitimate fear or an irrational fear.
- Calculate the worst case scenario. At this point, it may be time to change courses. If not, move on to step 3.
- Face the fear, attack it, and use it to power the growth of your business.
For me, I knew that it was a legitimate fear that could occur. If it did, I would need to get another regular job, which I was sure I could do. So I decided to face my fears, attack the growth areas of my business, and used the fear as motivation to not let it happen.
Now it’s your turn to address your fears honestly, intentionally, and with a plan.
