It took me about a year from deciding I wanted to have my own business, to actually taking steps to create it and get everything set up. Prior to that I was telling myself I wasn’t ready yet, it wasn’t the right time or it was all just too much hassle.
I didn’t know it at the time but I was letting fear hold me back!
I was fearful of failing. I was scared of being judged negatively. I worried that I’d be humiliated, and to some extent I was even scared of success.
I let these fears overwhelm me for a long time and I repeatedly procrastinated so I didn’t have to face them.
Then I read an article written by end-of-life care nurses who asked their patients what they wish they had done in their life. Pretty much all of them had regrets. Not regrets about the things they had done, but regrets about the things they hadn’t done.
Then it finally dawned on me. I didn’t want to grow old and near the end of my life wonder ‘what-if’. What if I’d decided to live life on my own terms? What if I had at least tried to make a living for myself. Or what if I had just gone for it and helped all the people my work could have impacted. I would never know unless I tried.
One thing we are running out of every single day is time. We can never get it back so there’s never been a better time than now to start creating the life you want!
So this is my message to you. If you have made a firm decision to become a business owning entrepreneur then STOP holding yourself back!
So what if people judge you. Unless they are paying your bills — who cares what they think! You can’t please everybody anyway.
So what if you fail. You will learn a great lesson each time to learn from and pass on the new knowledge to others.
So what if you are rejected and disliked by some people, they aren’t meant to be around you — but the right people will be!
I still feel fearful every time I do something outside of my comfort zone. But that is where I’m at my very best.
If things don’t challenge you to step up and change, then you will never grow and evolve to reach your full potential.
Today I want you to do the thing you have been putting off, the thing which you feel uncomfortable doing, even though you know it will help you or your business. Once it’s done, you have nothing to fear any more.
You truly CAN achieve anything once you stop getting in your own way.
It’s all a matter of choice. You can either choose to create your dream life, or you choose to give up on it, and watch other people succeed!
The choice is yours.
With love,
Rayah.
Rayah Harley is an Online Visibility & Business Growth Strategist on a mission to help Female biz owners across the globe to step up and stand out from the online crowd and create a life and business on their own terms.
She hosts a thriving community on Facebook where you can connect, and be supported as you create and grow your own business. You can join herehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/FearlessFemaleEntrepreneurs/
Originally published at medium.com