Nothing can tank your entrepreneurial dreams quicker than doubt- in yourself, in your ideas, in your abilities… Sound familiar? If you are nodding your head ‘yes’ that is because you are not alone in your worries. I have never met an entrepreneur who hasn’t had thoughts of doubt no matter what stage of the game they are at. Me included.
I feel this is because as an entrepreneur, your business and its success is so closely tied to you personally. Personal development IS business development. You and your business are intertwined.
Think of it as birthing a baby. You spend so much time nurturing and growing your ideas, and it is such an intimate experience that no one else is a part of. But what use are your ideas if you keep them to yourself? Eventually, you have to birth what has been so close to you for so long, but all the hard work to get that idea out into the world in concrete form is not nearly as stressful as once it is born. Because if you are growing a business that is an authentic expression of your passions and purpose, that newly born idea, which is a very intimate part of you, is all of a sudden out on display and is subject to everyone else’s thoughts and options.
Why I am sharing all of this with you? Because I want you to know you are not alone. As I prepare to launch my new Intuition Activation workshop, I have been on an emotional roller coaster. From the highest ‘yes this is what I am meant to do’ moments, to the lowest ‘who are you to be doing this’ moments. And because I believe so fiercely that what I am creating has the ability to make a positive impact, all those low moments are so much more personal and it feels much safer to keep my ideas in utero instead of giving birth.
This is what I needed to hear and do this week, and I hope sharing my experience will help you get over some of those humps of doubt too:
1. You know that thing that lights you up and sends tingles down your spine? You were meant to do it not only for yourself, but for it to send ripples out into the world. Elizabeth Gilbert says it so well- following your passion is a community service.
2. Don’t be scared to lean on your community. Surround yourself with people that truly believe in you and that will act as that sidekick in your story to help boost your confidence. Hearing others say they have confidence in you and your vision is highly infectious (in the best kind of way).
3. Stop pushing so hard, and stop for a moment. Make room in your day to sit with yourself and pay attention to what you are feeling (both emotionally and physically) instead of letting your head rule every second of your day (aka tuning into your intuition!). Do these feelings feel aligned with what you are currently pushing through in your business? Or do they feel at odds with each other? Course correct as you go instead of waking up one day wondering, ‘how did I get here’?
