Is fear getting in the way of you getting things done?

A client booked a call with me a while ago because she wanted some help getting out of the starting blocks with creating content for her new YouTube channel.

That was the challenge she came to me with, so that’s what the conversation centred around. I helped her explore different ways of approaching the project so she’d leave the call with clarity around exactly what she needed to do, and how she was going to do it.

But after a while, I began to suspect that something else was afoot!

I knew she’d been working on a new paid offering for a while now, so I asked her how that was going.

And that’s when our conversation got juicy!

It turns out she’d decided that the YouTube thing was now more important than the paid offering.

She’d rationalised that beautifully in her head, giving me all the reasons why that was the case.

But we both knew that whilst those reasons might have seemed logical on the face of it, by prioritising YouTube she was letting herself off the hook with the thing that would bring some additional income into her business.

Could it be that she was now prioritising YouTube because the paid thing was starting to feel hard, uncomfortable or boring? And that starting a new project, like the YouTube channel, felt like fun?

We talked it through for a while, and realised that those things were true. But there was something deeper going on too.

She eventually admitted to me – and to herself – that she was feeling the fear around her new paid thing.

“Fear of what?”, I asked.

“Fear that nobody will buy it.”

There must have been something in the air that week, because I had a similar conversation with a different client about the new course she’s been working on since the summer.

She admitted she’s been fearful of putting the course out there, because “what if nobody buys it and I look like an idiot”?

Have you ever experienced that fear in your business?

It’s very common, and can really trip us up and keep us stuck if we’re not careful.

That’s why working with someone else can be a massive help – they’ll be able to spot the signs that you’re getting in your own way and help you navigate a way forward.

Because feeling that fear is perfectly normal. Particularly when you’re trying something new or stepping outside of your comfort zone. If you’ve read The Big Leap by Gaye Hendricks, you’ll know all about those upper limit problems that raise their ugly heads when you’re taking your business to a new level.

If you ever find yourself avoiding working on the thing you know is your biggest priority – if you’re tempted to start something new before you’ve finished the thing you’re already working on, or if you’re spending all your time on busy work that isn’t moving the needle – it’s worth checking in to see what’s going on.

Are you feeling the fear?

Once you’ve spotted it, you can start to befriend it. To understand it. To find a way through.

Perhaps asking yourself: What’s the worst that could happen. And what’s the BEST that could happen?

For my clients who were afraid that nobody would buy, what’s the worst thing that could happen?

Well… nobody would buy.

Sure, that’s upsetting and disappointing when you’ve spent so much time on something. But is it the end of the world and does it mean you need to shut down your business and go get a job? Not usually, no. And there are always lessons to be learnt. Just because nobody bought, that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s anything wrong with the thing you’ve created. You get to explore and be curious about what went wrong, and where you can improve next time.

For the client who worried she’d look like an idiot, would anyone even KNOW if nobody bought the thing? Sure, it can be obvious if you’re selling a group programme and only 1 or 2 people join. But if you decide to go ahead with those two people, they’ll get an incredible level of support from you, which means brilliant results and fantastic testimonials to help you sell it next time.

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase ‘fail fast’. That feels applicable here, even though there actually is no failure; you can either succeed or learn.

At the end of the day, the sooner you get the thing out there, the sooner you’ll know whether or not it works. And the sooner you get to start refining it, so that it works better next time.

And if you’re holding back from putting your paid offering out into the world because you’re afraid that nobody will buy, guess what? Nobody will buy. Because you’re sitting on it, instead of sharing it.

To throw another cliché at you, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

So let’s think about the BEST thing that could happen if she puts her programme out there.

Well, people would be biting her hand off to sign up. She’d have money coming into her business, would fill all the places and have people on a waiting list for next time. She’d have an amazing time delivering the course, the participants would experience real, lasting transformation, and would be shouting about their experience to anyone who’d listen, boosting her credibility AND her confidence.

But none of that can happen if she doesn’t finish what she starts by sharing her offer with the world.

And sure, she might not sell out on the first attempt. But that’s not the point! This is about reprogramming your brain to consider the best possible outcome, instead of always going to the worst.

I know this isn’t always easy.

The mental and emotional fortitude needed to run a business is immense!

But it all starts with noticing your patterns and getting curious.

If you keep abandoning projects when you’re close to the finish line, telling yourself there’s a good reason why you should shift focus to that shiny thing over there, maybe it’s time to reflect on what’s really going on.

Is there something you’re afraid of?

What’s that fear all about?

And what would need to happen for you to move through that fear, so you can get your brilliant project out into the world?

Do you struggle to finish what you start?

If so, I have more practical suggestions for you over on my podcast. Follow the links below, and let’s get more of your brilliant ideas out into the world!

Episode 3: Want to land more of your ideas in reality?

Episode 4: What to do when you don’t feel like it

Episode 12: Why are your ideas stuck on the backburner?