In this blog post, I’m going to share how you need to step up and be brave, or it could be losing you money and other opportunities in your business
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As business owners, well let’s be honest, as people, we can so easily get caught up in the ‘What If I’m not good enough’ trap. We might be fine for a few days and then BAM, something gets us into the wrong mindset and off we go spiralling into this whole inner critic stuff.
Fear will keep you invisible in your business
I see it time and time again with my clients, and I’ve had it happen time and time again with me.
You have to step up and be brave, push through your comfort zones and allow things to happen in their own sweet time. If you don’t shout out about your business, then who will?
When talking with my clients they say they’re feeling uncomfortable about stepping into new territory. What if people don’t like what they put out there? What if their latest offering doesn’t sell? Just this past week, I’ve spoken with four clients who are worrying about things that they can’t possibly know the answers to right now, and they’ve written off programmes and offerings before they’ve even started.
It’s one of those dichotomies of being a business owner, on the one hand, you get to create lots of amazing things and get them out into the world when you want. No red tape. No meetings. No boss to answer to.
On the other hand, you don’t have that validation. There isn’t someone checking what you’re doing to make sure it’s ok and it’s all a lot of guesswork. In some ways, that’s the fun of being a business owner. Tweaking, testing, adapting, trying out new things, playing with lots of different ideas. It can also be our ruination because we play out lots of ‘what if’ scenarios that terrify the life out of us and then we do absolutely nothing.
So how do you clear the fear? Well, you don’t really, BUT by taking small action steps you will find that things become easier.
I very recently got invited to send some information to a publisher. I sat with the email for a whole day, thinking about what to write. I wanted it to be perfect. I wanted to know that what I would email would send the publisher dancing around the office with the printout saying, “I’ve been waiting for this kind of writing for my whole life.” Oh okay then, that was a very big stretch, but I did want it to be received really well so that they’d be interested in finding out more, so what did I do.
Nothing. Zip. Diddly Squat. Nada.
I let it sit in my inbox and worry about it. I’d say I ignored it, but I didn’t really. It was on my mind all day. I knew that it wouldn’t look professional if I didn’t reply quickly. It then became a much bigger thing that it needed to be. Ever done that?
Worry is a really useful strategy, isn’t it? Well, it’s one that’s worked for me – and a lot of my clients. Well, we think it’s what works, except it doesn’t. All it does is push us into perfectionist and procrastination mode. We’ll do anything but send that document, or do what it takes to make something happen. What is that all about?!
We sit and worry, stewing over every single word that floats out onto the page, wondering if that paragraph or bullet point will be the one that ruins it for us.
Often we consider that there’s a lot at stake so reframe it, explore other perspectives.
Let’s say ‘it’ doesn’t get received well, whatever ‘it’ means for you;
* You could view it that there are opportunities out there that are a better fit for you.
* It’s a reminder that you have been brave and stepped up, even if things don’t quite turn out how you’d hoped.
* It also helps you get much clearer on what you do want and your preparation might be better next time, maybe you’d ask for feedback from others before sending it for example.
This was just about my book, but what if it was the video that one of your ideal clients really needed to watch, or a LinkedIn blog post your ideal client really needed to read?
What if that ideal client really connected with you that day and then wanted to pay for your services? Who knows where that might lead after that too. It could result in referrals, where people shout out about your amazing service and offers. It could then lead to being asked to write guest articles, do a talk for an event and more.
Missed opportunities. Tangible and indirect. Possible income, relationship building and more.
So I’m guessing you might want to know what did I do about my email in the end.
Well, I did send it. There were a lot of rewrites, loads of intakes of breaths, a butterfly tummy and a few eeks but it’s gone.
What worked?
Telling someone that I was going to send it that day, and they also helped with a coaching strategy so that I didn’t die in the process. Did I tell you I was worried about it?!
I also got someone to check it for me and give me feedback, particularly to make sure it was Ruby-fied as my friend calls it (what I have to do when I get too serious and forget to just be me!)
Don’t let fear stop you from being visible in business.
Prepare, breathe in and be brave!
Sometimes you have to think about what you want MORE than the fear. Try it on something you’re putting off. It really does work!
Your Call To Action This Week: Think about something you’re putting off and just do it already. Want some accountability. Come over into my Facebook group, Rock Your Fabulous Biz, tell me what it is and let me hold you accountable.
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