You're not alone in feeling overwhelmed and anxious over your business. In fact, it's incredibly normal. But we don't want you to be one of the entrepreneurs that let's this fear stop them from doing what they were meant to do. You deserve to have the life you envision. Let's not let fear stop you.
You created your business for a reason. Whether that was to be your own boss, set your own schedule, be able to stay home with your kiddos and be fully present with your family, or simply to have the freedom to spend each day doing exactly what lights your soul on fire. You have a reason. And that reason is important. You deserve that life you dream of. And I want you to have that. But being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. Especially as a slow entrepreneur who values a sustainable work life balance instead of being a part of hustle culture. It's hard. Really hard.
It's easy to lose yourself to fears, insecurities, and anxiety.
- Fear of change.
- Fear of failure.
- Fear of others opinions
- Fears that you won't be able to make it
- Fear of letting your family down
- Fear of looking stupid
- Fear that you don’t know enough.
- Fear that you're not good enough
- Fear that there are so many others in the industry, why would YOU ever make it
It can be the single scariest career path as it's all in your hands. It's easy to get paralyzed by fear and anxiety. This can kill our dream before it's even really started. These fears are well founded, studies agree the problems entrepreneurs confront every day would overwhelm most managers.
“Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.” Suzy Kassem
You're not alone in feeling overwhelmed and anxious over your business. In fact, it's incredibly normal. But we don't want you to be one of the entrepreneurs that lets this fear stop them from doing what they were meant to do. You deserve to have the life you envision. The one where you have the financial security to run your life the way you want. Where you don't need to rush off every day to some job you don't really care about to do a job you don't really like. Where you can have a slow morning, drink your tea in your cute mug, watch the world wake up and ease into pursuing a passion that lights you up and get's you excited.
So let's help you tackle those fears so you can grow this BOMB dream biz of yours!
- Untangle, sort, and identify your fears.
Usually our anxiety is created based on a fear we have. And we can't address a fear if we don't know what we are feeling. So first, sit down and get out all that you are feeling. You can do this in whatever way is most beneficial to you. Write in a journal. Type out your feelings digitally in a notepad or system like Notion. Talk it out to a voice recording on your phone. Anything goes! As long as you dive deep into what you've been feeling both big and small.
- Determine if you can address the source of your fear
Sometimes our fears can be triggers that something in our business needs to change. Maybe you are overworking yourself and need to reevaluate your process and see if you can simplify. Maybe you are stressing over a particular part of your business that feels unprofessional. Create a plan to solve that and ease your mind.
- Refill your cup
We can't expect ourselves to work well from an empty cup. Find ways to nourish your mind, body and soul each day. Whether this is journaling, meditation, yoga, spending time with a pet or loved one, going outside, taking a walk, going on a drive. It doesn't need to be complicated or long. Even just 10 minutes a day of some form of mindfulness can do wonders to keep your spirit up.
- Get clear on your why
If you are cloudy on WHY you are doing what you are doing, it's easy to feel discouraged and anxious if what you are doing is even worth it. Combat this by digging into the deeper reason you want to run/grow your small biz. This could be supporting your family/ living life on your own terms/ helping the planet/ helping your community etc. Your why will be unique to you and it's the core reason you are running your business.
- Keep your why FRONT AND CENTER
Your why is your North Star for your business. This is what guides you above all else. Therefore, make sure to have this at the front of your mind. Knowing what you are working so hard for can help you focus and ground yourself in your purpose. Make a vision board with images and words that represent this dream life you envision and set that as your desktop background/ your phone screen/ your Notion board cover image, print it out and hang it above your desk, wherever you will see it every day and be able to quickly remind yourself what all your hard work is for!
- Break down action steps
Fear can paralyze us from making any progress and this just feeds our anxiety. Action creates joy and confidence. Reflect on the sources of your fears from step 2, is there any progress you can make in your business that would help relieve one of your fears? No matter how big or small. Break down tasks into manageable steps that you can accomplish. Now go into your weekly plans and assign each of those tasks to a day. (And make sure to check them off each day if you're like me and want to physically feel yourself accomplishing them xD). Taking action steps to grow our business leaves us feeling more confident and sure in our decisions, which cuts away at your stress and anxiety that you can't achieve things.
- Learn how to be mindful so you can face the obstacles that will inevitably pop up
It's much easier to practice meditation or mindfulness when things are easy and quiet. It's when life gets hard that our mindfulness is really put to the test. When big stresses come up in your business, which unfortunately they will :(, try to make a conscious effort to implement techniques that help you stay calm and centered. Take a step back. Take a deep breath. Focus on what actually needs to get done and not just what “feels pressing”. Take it one step at a time.
- Just breathe
This seems like a really simple one but trust me, even just a few deep breaths can change the game in effectively responding to a situation instead of just reacting. Even the The American Institute of Stress says, “Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calmness. Breathing techniques help you feel connected to your body—it brings your awareness away from the worries in your head and quiets your mind.”
- Celebrate your wins, no matter how small
Does some of your stress and anxiety come from feeling like you are spinning your wheels and never feel like you are actually accomplishing anything in your business? Write down your tasks and make sure you are focusing on one thing at a time. When you accomplish a task, celebrate! Acknowledge what you achieved, do a little dance, just something to tell your mind that you are making moves to move the needle in your business.
- Lean on others
Lastly, you don’t have to do everything alone. We were made to have a community. Lean on others in your life who listen, encourage, help, support, and provide an alternative perspective to help you remain grounded and combat entrepreneurial anxiety. And if it makes sense for you, take off some of the many hats you are probably wearing and collaborate with another professional who can take that off your shoulders. If creating your own logo and website sends you into a stress spiral, find a designer you connect with to take that burden away (like maybee this girl ;D shameless plug. Send me a message and let’s chat!)
Running your own business can be incredibly rewarding, but as with most things in life, it is not without its challenges. But you were made to do hard things. And you can do this. Don’t let anyone, not even yourself, get in the way.
Love,
Jewell
