Why Entrepreneurs Should Look Forward to Failure
Not so long ago, I was very fearful of failure. It would make me feel incompetent and my imposter syndrome would take over. I almost allowed this fear of failure to prevent me from launching my business to begin with. When I did launch, I know without a fact that certain individuals were skeptical and I’m quite sure there was some negative naysaying going on behind my back. Somehow I still moved forward anyway and I hope if you are contemplating tackling something new that you move forward too regardless of those negative voices coming from others (or even coming from you).
What I can tell you two years later is that becoming an entrepreneur and opening my own small business is what helped me to finally overcome my fear of failure. The successes have been great and certainly improved my confidence. But, oddly enough, the failures improved my confidence too. Each time I failed, I bounced back better and with more insight and knowledge. Each time I failed, I began to see myself as more of an expert, as more of a “real entrepreneur” rather than a “wannabe” entrepreneur. I also began to trust my abilities and my decision making and I became a bit more comfortable with uncertainty (something I clearly struggle with).
In 2023, I will be making a few changes to my business and if I’m totally honest that fear has already creeped back in. I’m even a bit ashamed to say that my mind immediately went to what others will think if these changes don’t result in a positive outcome. Why am I STILL allowing myself to get caught up in what others might think. Good grief, I’m 52 years old. But I think it’s human nature. It is a defense mechanism. Our mind wants protect us, keep us safe from danger or disappointments, keep us in our bubble where we are safe and confident and secure. We have to recognize it for that and push past it, propel forward. Otherwise we risk staying right where we are and missing out on all of the wonderful things that could happen for us.
So, in closing, I’m excited for all of the positives that will come in 2023 but I’m also excited for whatever pitfalls, setbacks, and failures are also in store. I will use all of these experiences to drive me forward and I hope that you will be able to do the same. Let’s not let fear of failure hold us back from pursuing our dreams and taking risks. Instead, let’s use it as motivation to work smarter and keep moving forward toward our goals.
