Fears of Entrepreneurship: Success
So far in this series on the fears of entrepreneurship we’ve covered the fears of failure and not making enough money. Next up: the fear of success.
Success may not seem like such a bad thing when it comes to entrepreneurship, and it isn’t. But it is a common fear, one that can be paralyzing. Many times you may not even know it’s a fear that’s stopping your progress.
Fear of success shows itself when you have a good thing going but take actions that sabotage your achievement, whether it’s conscious or not. Some ways you may self-sabotage because you’re afraid of succeeding include procrastinating, not fulfilling your responsibilities, making excuses, and thinking negatively.
A fear of success can stem from a number of things – worrying about creating a new reputation you have to live up to, dreading the changes your success will bring, and not wanting to have more responsibilities – to name a few.
If you are struggling with the fear of success, here are three steps to combating it.
Get to the Root
You can’t overcome the fear of success until you acknowledge it and explore what’s causing it. What is holding you back from success? What are the changes you’re dreading that success will bring? What will your success mean to you?
Write down your biggest concerns and look at them in black and white. Not only will this give you direction when it comes to addressing each fear, but seeing them written down can give you a new perspective.
Balance It Out
You likely have some big benefits in store if you succeed as an entrepreneur, otherwise you wouldn’t even be on this journey. Make another list of all of the positives your success will bring. How does this list compare to your worries?
Compromise with Yourself
Once you have the pros and cons and a handle on where your fear is coming from, adjust your plan accordingly. What are the most important parts of succeeding, the biggest things you have to gain? What are your biggest worries, the aspects of success you dread the most? Recreate your path so that it plays up the positives and minimizes the negatives.
You have control over the process and ultimately what success means to you. So focus on identifying and achieving your own success and the fear will fall away.
Have you experienced a fear of success? How did you overcome it?
Image credit: winterb6
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