We live in a spectacular age where the self-made business possibilities are nearly limitless. In fact, chances are, if you have a business dream that hasn’t come true, you’re to blame. Sorry, but most obstacles are self-inflicted. When you spend time alone, thinking of your dream, you feel great. However, when it comes time to transform from feeling great to being great, you hit a wall. Something holds you back. Could it be that you are holding yourself back? If you want to be an entrepreneur, you should definitely avoid pitfall thoughts.
Such thoughts can plummet you into a rut so deep, you can’t get out. Even if there is a ladder right next to you, you won’t see it. You’re stuck. The good news is, if you learn how to recognize pitfall thoughts, you can then learn how to get rid of them. If you want to be an entrepreneur, you must be an overcomer. Often times, the thoughts in your own head are the most difficult obstacles to rise above. You can do it. I believe in you.
Your idea requires you to try something new
Have you gotten cold feet about your entrepreneur dreams because your idea involves doing something you’ve never done? Is that what has you frozen in your tracks? If so, let me ask you this: Have you never done anything in life for the first time? Of course, you have! Why, then, are you so afraid to do whatever it is you dream of doing? Think of it this way: As soon as you do it for the first time, it won’t be something new anymore. Overcome this pitfall thought and do it!
You’ve read an entrepreneur article that says your idea is bad
It’s unlikely that anyone has a completely brand new idea. Ideas are sort of like the water cycle, there aren’t really new ones, just recycled ones. Perhaps, what is keeping you from forging ahead is a fear that your idea won’t work or isn’t a good one. Maybe you’ve been reading books or articles, or listening to podcasts. Did you hear a supposed expert “diss” your idea? Is that when you fell into a rut? Just because one person or 100 people say your idea won’t work, doesn’t mean they’re right and you’re wrong.
I recently read that, in 1966, Time Magazine printed an article stating that the futuristic idea of “remote shopping” would flop. Time said women love leaving their houses too much to ever want to shop online. Women, the article said, love to change their mind and handle merchandise before they purchase it. Fast forward to Cyber Monday, 2019, when online shoppers in the U.S. spent more than $9 billion in a single day. Apply this to your situation. Disregard the naysayers and focus on making your entrepreneur dreams come true!
You’ve had unsuccessful entrepreneur ideas in the past
Maybe this isn’t your first go ’round in trying to launch a product, service or business. Perhaps, you’ve had several ideas in the past that flopped. This is one of the biggest pitfall thoughts you can have. It is one you must overcome and rise above, if you want to be successful. Thomas Edison reportedly once said, “The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
You fear being a successful entrepreneur
Do you worry that having a lot of money will change you? Are you afraid of the possible increase in obligations, responsibility or expectations that might accompany your success? Are you holding back, not letting your dream come true because you’re afraid of it — of your dream? Of success? Prospective entrepreneurs often quit when they have no idea how terribly close they are to success. Fear grips them at the eleventh hour.
A great man once taught me an acronym for fear: F.E.A.R. False Expectations of Apparent Reality. He said what our brains perceive and what actually is are often two very different things. Also, what we fear the most almost never comes to be. That great man was my father. He gave this sage advice to me when I was a young wife and mother, and my husband deployed to a combat arena overseas in Desert Storm. This advice taught me how to overcome fear. Let it help you achieve business success.
Does your dream require nonconformity?
In an article I read by online marketing strategist, Tommy Walker, he wrote that a particular issue keeps potentially great entrepreneurs from achieving success. They are afraid to be nonconformists. Perhaps, there’s no politically correct way to go about doing what you want to do. If you bring your plan to fruition, you’re going to go against the grain, maybe even ruffle a few feathers.
Remember, you are definitely not alone in your struggle. Chris Guillebeau is a world traveler/blogger who writes about unconventional living. He earns his sole income through blogging, and he prides himself on being a nonconformist.
Don’t let lack of funds snuff out your entrepreneur dream
Guillebeau also says people shouldn’t necessarily let lack of funding be a roadblock to their dreams. He suggests analyzing your life to determine what is most important to you. Guillebeau also says that we typically fund that which we consider most important at any given time. If making your entrepreneur dream come true is what you want to be a priority, go for it. If you need financial backing, seek it. Do you have money in the bank that you’re saving for a rainy day? Consider using it to fund your dream. Is there something you’re willing to let go by the wayside in order to funnel more funds into your plan?
You are the lifeblood of your dream
You feel great when you think about your plan. Then, you get worried, anxious, stressed, scared. Today is the day and now is the time. You have the power to avoid pitfall thoughts and to pursue success. Is something holding you back? Share it in the comments. Perhaps, someone has been where you are now and can help you get out of the rut. Are you past all that and have you already made your entrepreneur dream come true? Don’t hold out on us! Tell us how you did it!
