Don’t Let Fear of Failure Keep You From Launching

You Will Never Fly if You Don’t Get Off the Ground

Starting my own business is one of the scariest things I have ever done. The other day, I was looking back through my older articles, and one piece really stuck out. I remembered how I felt when I wrote it. I remembered hitting that “publish” button with pride and allowing the overwhelming sense of accomplishment to wash over me. Back then, when I wrote the piece, I knew deep down that I had grown and stepped up my game. Yes, I had arrived.

It was a wonderful trip down memory lane as I relived the moment. It warmed my heart. But alongside that moment I also wrestled with something else, something a bit less pleasant. A question kept nagging me and wouldn’t let me go….

What was I thinking when I wrote this???

In retrospect, even though I thought I had done so well back then, I could see now how “not so well” I had actually done. A part of me was even a bit embarrassed.

Honestly, if I had known how poor my initial attempts at my project were going to be, I may not have started it in the first place. I would have been too afraid of looking unprofessional, or even downright bad, in the eyes of potential clients.

Self-Image and Fear

The fear of looking bad in the eyes of others may be the most powerful foe we face in life. We are obsessed with our self-image. We want people to like and appreciate us. And we work hard not to go in the other direction.

That’s why it’s often so hard to step out and take risks.

But if you want to run a business, then you need to be willing to take those risks. That means you have to find a way to silence that self-critical voice inside that says you have to be perfect in the eyes of others in order to succeed.

Remember what Stuart Smalley used to say on the old Saturday Night Live skits?

“I’m good enough. I’m smart enough. And doggone it, people like me.”

People loved those skits. I don’t know how many times I heard him quoted in everyday life. He made us laugh. Yet, while we laughed, I think we all knew down deep that we needed to hear that message regularly. Its comedic power lay not in its humor, but in its profound truth.

Indeed, remember this: You are good enough, you are smart enough, and doggone it, people do indeed like you.

The Long View

As I look back upon my endeavors, I’m glad I had the audacity to unleash my projects, even if my starts weren’t perfect. The fact is this: people still chose to work with me back then, and they thrived on the results they received. Even though I was rough around the edges, I had something to offer that other people needed.

Time and experience have allowed me to grow. Sure, as I look back upon older work, I can say that its quality was inferior compared to what I do today. But it obviously wasn’t as bad as my retrospective made it appear.

We all have to start somewhere. Then, we move forward from there.

Start Somewhere

If my story has any insight for you, I hope it will be this: Don’t be cowed by fear. Just start somewhere.

If you’re a beginning entrepreneur and you’re afraid that you aren’t going to be taken seriously or that you aren’t going to succeed, know that it’s normal to feel that way. Every one of us experiences that fear. It’s okay to feel it, just don’t let it overwhelm you. Don’t let it stop you from moving forward. After all, your big win is not today; it’s tomorrow. Stay focused on that.

Success doesn’t come as a result of great starts. Success comes as a result of growth. And you have to start somewhere in order to grow. So keep your eyes on the prize, and let the process of growth refine you so that you can become the entrepreneur that you are meant to be.