Show Notes
One of the biggest fears that not only holds entrepreneurs back from starting their business, but often haunts them throughout their career, is the fear that they are not good enough.
Have you ever felt that way?
I know I do regularly...sometimes I feel like my default setting! lol
If that’s how you’re feeling right now – it’s OK, you are far from alone.
When I started my first business, an Internal Communications Consultancy, the question ‘Am I really good enough?’ was constantly on my mind. Luckily it never stopped me going ahead anyway since I decided that ‘…there’s only one way to find out!’ was my best response.
If you are starting a business and are currently sat in that hamster-wheel asking yourself: “Am I good enough?” here are the steps to follow to help you get back on solid ground and start moving forward.
Ever asked yourself “Am I good enough?”, here are the steps to follow to overcome this #fear and start moving forward towards your true potential.
How to Get Over the Fear That You're Not Good Enough
Step 1: Explore your fear
First things First - Why do you think you’re not good enough?
Often our doubts and fears are untrue and based on outdated events and experiences - but occasionally they highlight an area that we need to work on or be aware of.
Where is your doubt coming from?
If it’s telling you you need to get more skills or experience – great, find out what you need, where to find it and go out and get it. But, if it’s “just saying…” and there is no hard evidence to suggest that you may not be up for the job - then you can put your doubts to one side, take a deep breath and move on.
Remember, no one is perfect and every successful person has messed up several times. Don’t believe me? Check out these quotes…
Step 2: Use your fear
As a conscious business person, who wants to get the best results their clients, it’s natural to ask if you are good enough – and for most people just the fact that you asked shows that you are!
In this case, you can use your fear to help you stay focused and do your best work. Do that, and you’ll no longer have time to wonder if you’re good enough!
It’s useful here (some might say essential!) to put your ego to one side and remember that your business is not about you, it’s about helping your client. The only way you will really let them down is if you let your fear get in the way of helping them. So don’t!
Step 3: Get Positive
Filling your mind with positive thoughts is one of the fastest ways to irradiate fear.
Look back over your Success Journal to remind yourself of all the great things you’ve done in the past and the challenges you’ve risen to. If you don’t have a success journal already, then take a moment to cast your mind back to another time when you worried you weren’t good enough – but then went out and did a great job.
Track down an inspirational business book, podcast or video and read or watch for at least 10 minutes to help fill up your mind’s positivity banks. It’s a great way to remind yourself that anything is possible and you can do this!
Filling your mind with positive thoughts is one of the fastest ways to irradiate fear.
Step 4: Make a Plan
Why did you consider starting a business?
Was it to use your talents to improve the lives of others?
Was it to give yourself greater challenge so you can discover and reach your full potential?
Start by identifying the worst-case scenario – what would really happen if everything goes wrong?
Then look at your best-case scenario– if everything goes perfectly, what would that look like?
Now compare the two. In most cases, the best-case scenario is also the most likely one. Putting them both down on paper can help you think more logically about the decision you are really making and what's at stake for you and your business.
Finally, make a plan that will ensure you minimise the risk of the worst-case happening and maximise the risk of the best-case happening and then...
Step 5: Practice and Test
Finally, get to work!
This is the most important step, as David J Schatz once said: “Action Cures Fear.”
“Action Cures Fear.” David J. Schartz
Using your plan and your new-found focus, start proving to yourself that you can do the job by taking action.
Once you have, remember to celebrate your success - even the small wins - as this will help motivate you towards your next success. Then write about your success in your journal to help you the next time you ask yourself ‘Am I really good enough?’.
Then rinse and repeat. The next time you question if you are good enough, follow the same steps to move forward. The more you practice, the more you will push your comfort zone and grow in confidence.
It’s likely that as you continue to learn, grow and step into your full potential, you’ll start facing bigger and bigger business challenges – but the steps to overcome your fear are always the same. The more you do it, the more you will find yourself willing to take on in the future. And that, my friend, is going to consistently take you in the direction of your dreams and beyond.
How exciting is that?!
How to Stop Fear Occurring in the First Place
Here are a few tips to help you minimise the risk of fear occurring in the first place…
Understand that confidence is dynamic
The flip side of being fearful is being confident. So it’s helpful to understand that confidence is dynamic.
This means that questions like ‘Am I good enough?’ are not going to go away, despite you getting more experience and business success under your belt.
You may enjoy success in one scenario only to feel fear in a similar, but slightly different, scenario in the future.
For example, you give a talk in front of your colleagues, you are nervous but you succeed. This doesn’t, however, stop those feeling of not being good enough reoccurring when you come to give the same talk in front of a different audience. The only difference the second time is that you know that the fear is temporary and that you can do it.
Continue to follow the steps above and practice overcoming fear, and you’ll soon learn how to ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’.
Create the right environment
Set yourself up for business success by creating a work environment that puts you at ease and helps you to feel in control and capable.
You may find it helpful (and fun!) to experiment with different working locations.
You can also create some positive affirmations that reinforce the ways you are good enough or display some inspirational quotes where you work to help you start your day with positive intention. You’ll find some great examples here…
Control your influences
Think about who you surround yourself with. You become like the five people you hang out with the most, so make sure that these are inspiring and successful people.
I remember Bob Proctor talking about how he wanted to do better in life, but then realized that he often sat in a bar surrounded by deadbeats – as soon as he changed and started to associate with successful people, he was able to see himself as being capable of more business success too.
It’s also important to guard what you put into your mind. If you watch trashy TV and spend hours a day finding out what child celebrities look like today, you are already downgrading what your mind will feel is possible for you.
Instead, as mentioned above, spend at least 10 minutes a day filling your mind with tips and inspiration from business success and self-development books, videos and podcasts.
So to feel 'good enough' more often, it’s ‘Out’ with the negative influences and ‘In’ with everything positive.
Build your ability to overcome fear by immersing yourself in positive thoughts and controlling your external influences.
Confidence starts with self-care
It’s really important for entrepreneurs to practice self-care and respect. If you don’t believe in yourself, then no one else will take you seriously either.
I learned the hard way that business success and healthy living go hand in hand!
Be sure to eat well, exercise, meditate and build your skills and happiness every day. These actions will also serve to regularly reinforce your feelings of being more than good enough.
Don’t stand still
When he had a near-death experience, Brendan Burchard found himself asking. “Did I live? Did I love, Did I matter?”.
Don’t wait for the end of your life to ask these questions, instead, step up each day, look for opportunities to go ‘above and beyond’, try new things, go to new places and meet new people.
You owe it to yourself, and the rest of the world, to tackle your fears, put your talents to their best use and live a full, exciting and meaningful life.
Business success lies in your daily habits, and consistent action builds confidence, so moving forward every day, even in some very small way, is going to make all the difference.
It all starts with that first step!
Taking your first step
If you are considering starting your own business, or are looking to take your business to the next level? You can by-pass much of the fear and achieve your goals faster with a coach by your side – you’ll also have more fun!
…and if you are wondering where you might find a business success coach – ta-da, here I am!
I’ve created the Dream Clients Blueprint programme especially for you.
As well as building your blueprint to lasting business success, I’ll help you gain clarity so you always know what to do next; help you learn essential business skills so that you can continue to build your business beyond the program; and help you build your business confidence.
Sound interesting? Contact me to request your 30-minute Discovery Call.
What have you tried?
What have you done to help you get over the "I'm not good enough" doubts?
What challenges have you overcome using any of the above methods?
Share your thoughts, experiences and ideas in the comments section below!
Do you have 4 minutes?
If so, I know you are going to find this video from Adam Roa incredibly inspiring...
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