You may have been thinking about starting a business for a while, patiently waiting until you’ve got your ducks in a row; for the perfect moment to get started. But is there such a thing as the perfect moment? If you wait for that, there’s a chance that you’ll be waiting forever. In the words of the famous Nike catchphrase, it’s often best to “Just Do It”.
Every day you don’t start, is a day lost – so here are some suggestions to help you get your show on the road.
Action is the antidote to fear
Have you noticed that before taking action on something significant, it’s not unusual to feel fearful, which more often than not leads to procrastination? But when you finally “just do it”, you feel accomplished and confident. Now that right there is the antidote to fear.
Ask yourself: what is the one step that you can take right now to start the process, even if you’re not ready to drop everything else? All our circumstances are different and so the action we take will vary widely. It might be something really small, like picking a company name, or something bolder, like resigning from your full-time job. But taking conscious action – whatever that may be — creates more confidence, which in turn inspires more action, and so a virtuous circle is created.
Remember that it all begins with a simple decision to start, even if that start is just a baby step
Get rid of the negative voice in your head
Imposter syndrome is a huge limiting factor when it comes to starting a business. That’s the voice inside your head telling you that you’re not good enough, that you aren’t skilled enough to start something of your own, that you won’t be as good as everyone else. With that kind of internal dialogue, it’s easy not to believe in yourself.
In the face of self-doubt, nurture good friendships and mentor relationships – these people can be your cheerleaders when you’re not feeling confident. Use these relationships for inspiration, upliftment and motivation.
And when you’re building a business, focus on the value that you’re bringing to your customer and the ways you can help them. Remember that no matter what you think about yourself, you can offer something that the world needs.
Stop being a perfectionist
Perfectionism is the enemy of action because it can lead to procrastination. Yes, I know you want your product or service to be the best there is, but remember that any business is always a work in progress. In order to become successful at something, it’s inevitable that you’ll make mistakes along the way. But those mistakes are important, because this is how we learn. Don’t let the desire to control all the outcomes stop you from starting.
Fail forward
Remember that all experts were once beginners. Use failure and making mistakes as stepping stones towards success. It’s an indication that you are making progress — and making mistakes along the way(and learning from them) is what makes the journey towards success even more worth it.
Look at it like this: Failures are learning opportunities in disguise. When you do make mistakes, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, take some time out to learn from them and take action again with those new valuable lessons in mind.
Use your fear as fuel
Fear is something huge that can hold us back, but it’s also possible to use the feeling as positive fuel to push you forward. Fear and rejection are part of the process of growing. No matter how many times I get up to speak in front of an audience or coach someone, I’m always nervous, but I use that nervous energy as positive fuel to drive me. Imagine fear being a powerful v8 motor engine in an amazing car like a Lamborghini or Ferrari, which can take you to amazing places in your life!
Yumna Aysen is a Life Coach. For more information, visit: Oh Yes It’s Yumi
