Patricia had enjoyed her job as a corporate accountant for years. But she’d always longed to be a photographer. She’d spent years taking classes from the local college and she even picked up a few freelancing gigs.
Now, she was playing with the idea of starting a side-hustle. She knew she could shift her hours to make it possible. But she wasn’t sure if she was ready to take the risk. If you’re like Patricia and you’re worried about taking risks, ask yourself if one of these beliefs is holding you back…
Faulty Belief #1: The Timing Must Be Perfect
There are always going to be a million reasons not to go after a dream. You just had a new baby. You’re waiting for the kids to grow up. You’re too busy or too stressed. You just don’t have the time.
But the truth you must remember is this: you are not guaranteed tomorrow. If you wait, you may never get the chance to chase your dreams. It may not always be easy or convenient to go after what you want right now but it is worthwhile. Taking risks is a powerplay.
The desire to have everything be perfect can be so strong in us. Take a moment to close your eyes, place your hand on your heart and breathe deeply – 3 big beautiful breaths. Where did you learn that unless it’s perfect it’s no good? How strong is that belief in you?
Faulty Belief #2: I’ll Get to It Eventually
You know what you want—whether that’s to travel the world, write a novel, or become a comedian. But you’re too busy with other life commitments so you keep telling yourself that you’ll get to it “eventually”.
The problem is that if you put your dream on hold for too long, you’ll begin to resent the people around you for your unhappiness. Dreams are great but you need a deadline, too. Sure, you can’t write your first novel or go to Rome in a day but you can commit to picking out your heroine’s name or researching to see the first step you need to take to get your passport.
Every little step towards your dream is making it happen. Imagine how you will feel when you have 365 little steps behind you…..you won’t even believe it yourself.
Faulty Belief #3: Failure Will Ruin Me
Failure isn’t fatal. It’s simply part of the learning process. You wouldn’t teach a toddler learning to walk that it’s the end of the world if he falls. You’d simply encourage him to keep going. That’s the attitude you should take when you’re contemplating going after a big goal.
When Kim considers the possibility of failure, she decides what she’ll lose from the failure then she plans for how she’ll bounce back. By doing this, Kim feels in control and can confidently take on new risks. If she succeeds, she’s delighted. If she fails, she knows what to do next.
Imagine how freeing it would feel if you could view your life as a big experiment. Put your hand over your heart, close your eyes, and embrace this concept. Can you feel the freedom? Or does something else come up for you? Write down your thoughts in your journal and allow yourself to be curious about what might be underneath your fear of failure.
Faulty Belief #4: I’m Too Comfortable Right Now
Everything finally seems to be coming together. Your marriage is in a good place. You’re happy in your career. Your child just got accepted into their ideal college and your life couldn’t be better.
Believe it or not, this is the perfect time to take a risk. That’s because trying new things keeps you from stagnating during seasons of rest and abundance. It’s not that everything will work out perfectly but that you’ll feel more confident and more energized to go after what you want.
When Patricia thought about it, she realized her fear stemmed from her belief that her life was good right now. She was worried she would “ruin” things by starting a side hustle. But a friend pointed out that she wasn’t feeling fulfilled and her company was in flux anyway. You never know what tomorrow might bring so allowing yourself to be open to experimentation can bring such fulfillment.
Taking risks is an important aspect of running a business.
Understanding the beliefs that are holding you back will allow you to overcome them. You can think through these mindset issues and create a plan to tackle them now that you know what the root cause is.
If you enjoyed this post you might also benefit from understanding shame and the ways it can hold us back.
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