No, I don’t mean a day when everything goes wrong…
I mean a day when you had to take action in your business that was really uncomfortable, a day when you had to move forward into unknown territory. Scary territory.
Of course you have. We all have. Being an entrepreneur means we are constantly testing our abilities, and our confidence. Sooner or later, fear hits, especially when it comes to believing in what is possible.
Can I really do this? We ask.
Yes, you really can. And yes, you’re probably scared, which is fine – unless you let it get in your way.
For instance, what would you do if any of these happened to you…
1. You get an email from a client saying your program isn’t right for him, and asking for his money back. You…
…refund his money immediately, and drop your head in shame. You knew you’d be terrible at this. No wonder he wanted his money back!
…politely but stiffly refuse to return any money, and send him away. You tell yourself he’s an idiot, but secretly worry that you’ve made a mistake.
…take a moment to get centered, then reach out with an intention to understand what isn’t working. You offer a partial refund, even though you don’t really have to, and accept it all as part of your learning as a business owner.
2. You’re on a call with a potential client who gets a little tearful. She really wants to work with you, but says she can’t afford it. She asks if you’d consider some kind of discount. You…
…feel sorry for her, and immediately offer to cut your fees in half. After all, you really like her, and besides, you need the money.
…feel like a heel for charging so much, and worry that no one will ever hire you at these rates.
…trust that if she can’t (or won’t) work with you, either it’s not the right time for her or she’s not the right client for you. You send her some great alternative resources, and let her go.
3. You’ve got an idea that you know could change lives, and you get a glimpse of how powerful this could really be. You…
… have a small panic attack at the thought, get overwhelmed, and try to put the idea completely out of your mind.
…tell yourself that you could never do this. After all, big things happen to other people, not you, right?
…sketch out a vision for what this could look like and craft a plan for moving forward. You begin lining up support, and taking your first few steps.
Building a business is a brave thing to do.
But goodness, it’s tough.
The fear is a sign of growth. It means you’re stretching into new territory, reaching for a stronger skill set, an expanded customer base, a higher level of service, and more income.
It means you’re upping your game – and it’s about time.
But wouldn’t it help if you had the tools to cope with that fear?
I sure think so.
And that’s why I’ve created a series of 5 short videos that will give you some of those handy, helpful tools.
If you’re new here, you’ve seen these. But if you’ve been with me a while, you haven’t – so I wanted to share these with you, too.
In each video, I’ll walk you through specific steps you can take to cope with a bad case of butterflies. They’re only 5-6 minutes long, but they’re packed with good ideas – and they work. I know – because I use every single one.
One caveat! I stepped through some fear when I made these – so they’re far from perfect. But I think they’ll help.
So add your info above, and check your inbox for the first video. I’d love to know if this is helpful for you, too, so your feedback would be great.
Let’s tame those butterflies, shall we?
Photo Credit: David Ohmer on Flickr