Keys to Success: Overcoming 5 Fears That Hold Entrepreneurs Back
Here's how to move past your personal obstacles and get your startup idea off the ground.
By Lewis Howes •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Editor's Note: A version of this article previously appeared at LewisHowes.com.
There are plenty of fears and excuses that hold us back from getting what we want as entrepreneurs. But success (and failure) is a choice.
When I started out in business, these were my big concerns:
"I'm young and I've never had a real job, why would anyone hire me without the experience?"
"I still don't have my college degree so I'm not smart enough to teach anyone this stuff."
"I'm just a washed up football jock who didn't even make it to the NFL. If I couldn't make that happen how will I make this happen?"
"I'm sleeping on my sister's couch, if my client finds that out, they will drop me for sure!"
The thing is, there will always be some conversation that will try to hold you back. It's up to you to listen to it or break through and make greatness happen no matter what.
What's holding you back? Here are the five most common fears I hear from most entrepreneurs and tips for how to push through them and be successful:
Fear No. 1: Not believing in yourself.
Solution: Set smaller goals to accomplish faster.
The key to breaking this is building small wins each day so you can gain the confidence you need to take on a goals game in your business. Make it a game to see how many small victories each day you can have. This can be as simple as not checking email every hour, or completing one simple task each day by the deadline you create for yourself.
Related: 10 Successful Entrepreneurs on How to Be Awesome
Fear No. 2: Thinking you need a product before you can sell it.
Solution: Drum up interest and do your research before pushing the sale.
You think you need to have the perfect product finished before you can start selling it. When you can use the bootcamp model or presell something to see how many people are willing to buy it before you spend months and months creating something that no one will buy. Yes, you can sell your product before you create it.
Fear No. 3: Needing to be absolutely perfect.
Solution: Don't stress every last, tiny detail.
#insert RSS here#
"I NEED THE PERFECT LOGO!" I hear the logo design story so much it makes me want to puke. No one cares about your logo, nor the font size that's on your site.
Yes it's important to make things great and you can certainly do this by upgrading over time, but good and profitable is better than perfect and never done. Get things done. Be a person who finishes even if it's not yet perfect.
Related: Confidence, Excellence and Independence: Business Lessons From 4 Great Leaders
Fear No. 4: Seeking money from investors.
Solution: Network and get creative.
This is BS. I know so many entrepreneurs who started in debt, and built everything with hustle, relationships, building their audience and sweat equity. It's time to get creative and start thinking like an entrepreneur instead of thinking like someone who works in a cubicle. Jump out of your box.
Fear No. 5: You lack enough experience and knowledge to get started.
Solution: Don't limit yourself if you don't have a college education.
With everything that's available online you are telling me you can't learn what you need to? You can either find a mentor, study free resources online, or mimic successful processes.
There are so many ways to find the knowledge and get the experience you need to prove that you have the chops to be a great entrepreneur.
