The path of entrepreneurship is not an easy one. It’s why most people stick to employment, even if the grass is greener. However, being an entrepreneur is very rewarding and fulfilling despite the many challenges.
The major one being the fear of failure, which has stopped many aspiring entrepreneurs on their journey before they’ve barely started.
There are so many things that cause anxiety in the life of an entrepreneur, like the absence of a regular pay check, and fluctuations in market demand, among many others. However, what really matters is what you are doing to overcome these fears.
Here are a few pointers to help you overcome entrepreneurial anxiety:
1. Treat yourself well
Most entrepreneurs have this mentality that they need to push themselves too hard to get to where they want to be.
It is good to go that extra mile, however, do not overstrain yourself. As an entrepreneur, you are the biggest asset you have. Take a step at a time and know you will eventually get there.
Do not be too hard on yourself when you make a mistake, remember that as an entrepreneur, failure is inevitable. But every time you fail, you learn.
2. Give yourself a break
According to a recent study, workers who took regular breaks were proven to be more resourceful than those who didn’t.
To keep your mind sharp and prevent anxiety from building up, allow yourself to take breaks from your projects, to unwind a bit. This could mean taking a short walk or taking your dog for a swim.
Work smart and give your brain time to relax and process all the information you have been feeding it. When you’re at rest your subconscious is still busy working. You never know, during this rest you might have a breakthrough.
3. Meditate
Meditation gives you inner peace and helps to calm your soul. There are many proven benefits of meditation and one of them is that it helps to overcome anxiety.
Make it part of your daily routine. You can meditate early in the morning when you wake up or just before you go to sleep.
Meditation helps to increase your mental focus and lowers stress, and enhances creativity.
Meditation will go a long way in helping you overcome any anxiety you may have as an entrepreneur.
4. Avoid procrastinating at all costs
There is a connection between anxiety and procrastination. As an entrepreneur, there are times you may feel inadequate, making it hard to even being working on a project.
But remember that the most important rule as an entrepreneur is to never fear failure. And that some action is better than no action.
If the project is a huge one, try breaking it down to small steps, and work on it in bits. This will help you reduce anxiety and you will achieve more than when you were sitting at there, worrying about the total size of the project.
5. Train your mind
Les Brown, a renowned motivational speaker and life coach once said that there is no poverty for the man who learns how to train his mind.
As an entrepreneur, you always need to see the glass as half full not as half empty. You need to see the “O” in front of the word “opportunity” and not as the last letter in the word “zero”.
Let your mind be positive and keep focusing on what could go right instead of being afraid of what might go wrong. Success begins in your mind. Remember this and you won’t have anything to worry about.
6. Set clear goals
A dream is just a goal with a deadline. One of the ways to overcome anxiety is to make a list of all that you need to accomplish, your long-term and short-term goals. Then also make a list of your fears, all that you can possibly think that can go wrong or can hinder you from achieving your set goals.
This way you’ll clearly be able to see what your obstacles are and how you can avoid them. And every time you achieve a goal you can cross it off your list.
You’re a lot less prone to anxiety when you can clearly see what challenges are ahead of you. And ticking off these challenges as you defeat them will give you the motivation needed to achieve more.
Being an entrepreneur requires you to be bold and courageous enough to understand that it might not be easy, but it will be worthwhile in the end.
Don’t worry about what other people think, because well, they do not define you. Keep doing you and focus on the prize, you will eventually get there.
Anxiety and fear are just emotions, do not let them cloud your judgment, instead let your fear fuel your dreams.
All the very best in this amazing journey of being who you are meant to be.
