Fear is a primary human emotion. From the day we are born, we’re equipped with the survival instincts to respond when we sense danger or feel unsafe.
In some situations, being afraid helps protect us. But fear can also be crippling, especially for entrepreneurs. When you’re afraid, it’s difficult to seize opportunities or achieve success. And to overcome your fears, you must first identify and understand them.
This article discusses 6 fears that hold entrepreneurs back from success.
1. Fear of failure
Failure is an unavoidable part of a person’s life. Even successful entrepreneurs experience failure at some point in their careers. A small dose of fear of failure allows you to double-check and ensure that things are correctly done. But when you’re constantly afraid to fail, you become excessively anxious, preventing you from taking risks or meaningful actions.
Read more: How to Get over the Fear of Starting a New Business
2. Fear of inadequacy
Entrepreneurs are leaders. They drive their company to success and inspire their team to work. But what happens if the head of the team starts to doubt their capabilities and feel inadequate? The company will likely crumble. Entrepreneurship is competitive in nature. So when you start to think that you’re not good enough, no matter how hard you try, you will not be motivated to work, and it’s difficult to try again.
3. Fear of rejection
Sometimes, a customer may refuse your company’s services, despite you putting in almost 90% of the work. This may make you feel sad and discouraged. But that’s normal in a business setup. You can’t always get what you want. The fear of being rejected will worsen your emotions, which may lead you to dismiss opportunities just to avoid rejection.
4. Fear of change
Change is frightening to most people. Despite that, the world is constantly changing, and entrepreneurs should ride the waves of change. The fear of change may result in a closed mindset. If you’re afraid of change, it’s hard to anticipate the future and make necessary adjustments, which will impede your company’s success.
5. Fear of uncertainty
Even when you’re an experienced entrepreneur, there are still business-related things that you don’t know. And the unknown can be terrifying. But when you fear the unknown, it means that you’re afraid of losing control. This will stop you from taking a risk because you’re not sure if it will produce a good or bad result. Instead of being afraid, research and think of ways to build your confidence.
Read more: 6 Powerful Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt
6. Fear of disappointing others
Successful entrepreneurs should know when to stand by their decisions, even if it means letting others down. Of course, we don’t want to disappoint our loved ones or customers. But as an entrepreneur, you should accept the fact that you can’t satisfy everyone. If you’re afraid of what others might think of you, you will be afraid to say no to other people and stretch yourself too thin.
Conclusion
It’s completely natural to be afraid. So don’t be embarrassed when you fear something. Instead, acknowledge it and think of ways to overcome them. The antidote to fear is courage, so take action and get help if necessary.
