Outsmarting the Fear Factor: How to Override the Crumbling Doubts of Starting Your Own Business

Posted by Kerry Tepedino on March 4th, 2011 in Blog, work place | 4 Comments

You can feel your throat tightening. Perhaps that is a slight migraine coming on. You haven’t slept well in weeks. Some of you may have felt these things, harboring dissatisfaction with your current job and wanting to break free to do your own thing but you’re too scared to do anything about it. I’m here to tell you that what you’re feeling is normal. Now what you do with those feelings is entirely up to you.

Together we’re going to look at those feelings to see where they come from, what they are about, and how you can tame them to move on to create a life that you are wildly passionate about. Why? It’s your birthright to be abundantly happy, and in doing what you love you can contribute to the world, positively influencing others. Working at your optimal level happens when you’re at a place of harmony within yourself. Creating a life by design, rather than default, is part of this equation.

I understand it’s scary, standing on the edge of becoming an entrepreneur. About eight years ago, I was working in the graphics department of a company. I loved designing, but was acutely aware that my window office and reserved parking spot were holding less value to me as my interests changed. I had started to study yoga and holistic health on the side for fun, but the more I learned, the more I wanted to pursue these as a career. In my mind I understood it would be ridiculous for me to leave a good paying job with great benefits to pursue the unknown. I had just used all of my savings as a down payment for my first condo, planning to eat ramen noodles for the next few years because I was so broke. I stayed practical for as long as possible until the universe decided it was time to intervene. If I wasn’t going to make the decision myself, it was going to make the decision for me. I was called into my boss’ office and told that graphic design was going to be outsourced from that point on. My emotions ping ponged between “eeek” and “yay!” as I processed what was actually happening.

It didn’t take long for me to understand that although luxuries would be far and few between for awhile, I was finally free to play full out and these tough times could possibly be the greatest godsend to my career. My sister had just had a baby and asked me to be the nanny, offering me health benefits and good pay, but I stuck to my guns and buckled down to stay on course. Why? Because I understood that I was worth it. Innately I knew that if I felt so strongly about working in holistic health and being an entrepreneur, there must be a reason for it.

I told you this story because I want you to recognize yourself in it. I want you to understand that the core beliefs you often live as an adult were most likely created when you were a child. It’s those nasty little thoughts that scream, “You aren’t good enough,” or “You don’t know what you’re doing,” or “You’re sure to fail.” It’s time that you understood that you’re an adult now and those beliefs are a disservice not only to you, but to the contribution you can make to the world.

You are good enough and it’s your responsibility to go for it. You’re worth every single desire that bubbles up to the surface in you. If your dreams were too big for you to attain, they never would’ve crossed your mind in the first place. It simply doesn’t work that way. Those dreams, desires, and goals have been placed in your subconscious for a reason. It’s up to you to make them your reality.

Next month we’re going to dive deeper into outsmarting the fear factor. We’re going to discuss simple exercises for getting past the doubts and choosing to create a life that you absolutely love. So… stay tuned and in the meantime, get clear on what you want in your life. Have fun and use your imagination… the world is your oyster and your pearl is there for you to claim.