Lack of confidence in your business

[Sander]

Has anyone else tried to feel a lack of confidence in the businesses you start? And if so, do you have any tips to overcome that state of mind?

I think I have some good projects going on, which will make value for the customers, but I'm a little afraid to put my name and face on the line, which is a bit weird, since I've run a solid freelance business which depended on personal contact to customers.

I could understand it if the projects was shit and I was trying to scam people. But that's not the case.

I don't know if it's because I'm still watching the projects as just small websites, which they are, because they're in the very beginning, and not "real" businesses, but it's hard to get it going for real, if I'm only behind it with 50% of my heart and not 100%. It's kind of challenging to get up to the 100%. Feels like I'm still seeing the projects like sort of hobby ideas, where I'm just playing around.

When you start a new business or a new project, do you spread the words to your friends, your family, put your name on the business and get into it with 100% from the very beginning?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

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[Longinus]

When you start a new business or a new project, do you spread the words to your friends, your family, put your name on the business and get into it with 100% from the very beginning?

Of course, they might be your first clients.

Why are you afraid? Failure?

My friends and family have seen me fail a lot and probably think I will keep failing. Just gives me more motivation to prove them wrong.

 

[Sander]

Of course, they might be your first clients.

Why are you afraid? Failure?

My friends and family have seen me fail a lot and probably think I will keep failing. Just gives me more motivation to prove them wrong.

Actually it could be failure.

If it's that, then being afraid of failure can F*ck off.

Thank you.

 

[Fpm9]

Actually it could be failure.

If it's that, then being afraid of failure can F*ck off.

Thank you.

I can't see why failure is that scary. Of course everyone wants to be successful, but I don't remember who said " failure is temporary, giving up is permanent ". Maybe it depends on the risk you're taking. I feel scared when I hear stories about people who borrow tons of money to open a restaurant or some kind of brick and mortar business, fail, and then it takes them years to recover from that failure.

 

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[Almantas]

You'll see me fail over and over again...until I win.

 

[Van Halen]

I can't see why failure is that scary. Of course everyone wants to be successful, but I don't remember who said " failure is temporary, giving up is permanent ". Maybe it depends on the risk you're taking. I feel scared when I hear stories about people who borrow tons of money to open a restaurant or some kind of brick and mortar business, fail, and then it takes them years to recover from that failure.

Pretty sure its in Unscripted . Something along the lines of Failing is learning and taking swings. Failure is giving up on your dreams.

 

[masterneme]

Has anyone else tried to feel a lack of confidence in the businesses you start? And if so, do you have any tips to overcome that state of mind?

I think I have some good projects going on, which will make value for the customers, but I'm a little afraid to put my name and face on the line, which is a bit weird, since I've run a solid freelance business which depended on personal contact to customers.

I could understand it if the projects was shit and I was trying to scam people. But that's not the case.

I don't know if it's because I'm still watching the projects as just small websites, which they are, because they're in the very beginning, and not "real" businesses, but it's hard to get it going for real, if I'm only behind it with 50% of my heart and not 100%. It's kind of challenging to get up to the 100%. Feels like I'm still seeing the projects like sort of hobby ideas, where I'm just playing around.

When you start a new business or a new project, do you spread the words to your friends, your family, put your name on the business and get into it with 100% from the very beginning?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

That's normal. Think about this:

How much do you have to believe in gravity to make it work?
If your belief is only 50% will you cut its effect in half?

What helped me a lot in the past is thinking about your business practice as an experiment. Step aside and stop making it personal, just act as a scientist and become curious about the process and the results.

If you provide value it will work, don't be too hard on yourself even if it fails, just keep going.

Sometimes our lack of belief in our business is just a projection of a lack of self-confidence, the trick is that, take yourself away of the equation, move all your attention to the process, instead of having and engaging in "bad thoughts" ask yourself what is the next step and do it.

In other words, to overcome a state of mind change the thoughts that provoke it.

Every time you caught yourself in bad thoughts just say in you mind "NO. What do I do next?" and act upon the next step.

This acts as a pattern interrupt and will eventually replace your thinking.

 

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[Sander]

Step aside and stop making it personal, just act as a scientist and become curious about the process and the results.

+Rep! Thank you.