Is The Fear of Succeeding Holding You Back?

"The greatest fear of success is the possibility of it." – Arthur Tugman

It’s a brand new year and you’ve made some bold decisions on the direction you’d like your business to go, but something is definitely holding you back from putting your plans in motion.

Is the fear of success holding you back?

I know. Some of you may think that’s a totally backwards statement to make as everyone loves to be successful, but that’s not always the case. Let me explain.

As I’m fond of saying, big risks require big actions, and those actions usually involve stepping way outside your comfort zone. Yes, you may know how to service your regional area, but how will you handle 3 regional areas if that’s one of your goals? And even more importantly, what happens if suddenly 30 companies are placing orders for your products or services? Are you equipped and ready to handle that increase in your business?

That’s what I call the ‘fear of success’ principle. It’s that big, “What will I do if this idea flies?” question that often stops entrepreneurs dead in their tracks. Their heart says, “I’m so ready to be bigger and bolder in my business,” yet their brain starts arguing with them and responds, “Yeah, but what if I achieve that goal and I can’t handle the added pressure? What’s going to happen to my business then?” I’ll tell you what happens next. You end up sitting on the fence getting splinters in your behind for not making a decision to either move forward with your plans, or you stay in the same, safe place you’re used to being in.

Ask yourself these 3 simple questions to determine whether you’re afraid of success or simply procrastinating:

1. Am I equipped to handle the ‘best’ case scenario? Do you have systems in place to accommodate the increase in your business? Have you laid the proper groundwork to quickly and easily bring on board additional personnel if needed to satisfy the demands of your clients? If your answer is no to this one, then you’d better start the process of putting together a firm foundation upon which to grow your business before you implement new programs or growth strategies.

2. Can I live with the added stress that business growth usually brings? If you’re already eating a bottle of antacids a day due to your already stressful life, then you seriously need to find ways to increase your coping mechanisms. Everyday life is stressful enough without taking into consideration what the additional requests for your time/resources will bring into the mix. Carefully look at what it will take to remove some of the stressors from your life now before the increase in your business happens. Being in peak physical and mental condition is key to surviving both the pitfalls and periods of growth in your company’s operations and personal life as well.

3. Am I managing my commitments or are they managing me? Yes, you heard right... commitments. Why? You can’t manage your commitments without know how to manage your time. No matter how you slice or dice it, there are only 24 hours in every day, 365 days a year, (and 366 on a Leap Year). If you’re constantly running late for client appointments, or rescheduling your calendar to try and fit in time to have dinner with your family, you definitely need to reassess where you’re spending your time. Trying to maintain an even work/life balance is hard enough when your days are running along fairly smoothly let alone when your business suddenly takes a big upswing in demand.

Failure is something that most all of us have experienced in one form or another, but handling success is a whole different ball game. Make sure you’re primed and ready to cope with all the downsides of success as well as the upsides of achieving those lofty goals before you set them in motion!