The fear of failure is a big barrier for a lot of people.
The big question of "What if?" that you play over and over in your head when you are about to do something in your business that requires courage and lady-balls of steel can often stop you before you start.
You don't start a business to watch your business fail.
The fear that it will all go horribly wrong and not be anything like what you want it to be, is a consequence that sometimes you cannot even begin to bare. A consequence that is so worrying and terrifying that you convince yourself not to take that chance in the first place.
However, the fact that you have made the decision to work for yourself is a biggy anyway isn't it? That in itself is brave, so it already shows you that you are ready to do this.
Maybe it's a new offer, programme, service or product that you want to put out there but you can't help wonder whether anyone will buy into it and into you for that matter. What if the launch is a big flop? What if I go for it and then make a fool out of myself? What if other people see that I don't know what I am doing" What if I get found out? What if I don't get any sign ups to a group programme?.....that last one was mine.
I had run the group programme before. Three times and I had filled spaces and the groups were super successful so I thought, why not, I will do it again. I loved running the group coaching and was really excited to sign up new clients.
I had so many great testimonials from previous clients who really had life changing experiences working with me and doing the work on themselves.
So I put it out there - quietly confident that I would get some interest.
Nope. Nothing.
I had talked about it so much - everyone wanted to know how many people I had signed up and I was slowly dying on the inside. The self doubts creeping in.
Nobody thinks I am good enough anymore.
I have lost it. It's gone and my dream business has gone with it. No one wants to work with me anymore. I started to hide. Not be as visible. Avoided talking abut it anywhere.
I felt like a complete failure because it had happened - the things that had scared me for so long and had stopped me from promoting what I had. It had come true. My launch was a big fat flop and I felt like a big fat failure.
I cried. And then I cried some more.
Who I am to help other women be more visible, talk about what they do and promote and sell their products and services when I couldn't even do it myself.
Nope this was it. The end.
But of course it wasn't. I decided to speak with my coach about what had happened and instead of thinking that I had lost out we looked for the lessons.
Always look for the lessons. You never ever fail. You win or learn.
I know I needed to get back on it - to get back out there - but how could I? I was obsessed with planning my next offer, my next launch, doing it better until my coach helped me see that I was too obsessesed with the 'planning' and I needed to start 'doing'.
Getting back out there and being honest about the things I was going through really helped me build my confidence again.
If you have been through something similar then why not try doing the opposite to what you think you 'should be doing. Try something new. Give yourself a chance at something different and watch the ideas and opportunities flow.
Don't be scared of failure.
Don't let it hold you back. Embracing failure is the only way to success - they work together to ensure that you do. Time to do it - get that offer, programme, product out there - stop letting the fear of it not working out hold you back - be curious and experiment and then tweak it as you need to.
Learn. Action. Fail. Learn. Action. Fail. Success.
You've got this :)
**Gemma Stow works with female entrepreneurs who are introverts or want more confidence and are ready to take themselves and their business to the next level. To find their fierce and take that all important action. As well as private coaching, she runs a membership called Club Fierce that gives that personal touch to women who are looking for support, accountability and an environment that breeds self belief. More info HERE. Or join her FREE community The F Movement**