These days, you’d struggle to go online or attend a conference related to entrepreneurship without hearing a reference to remote working and online businesses. But back in 2007, when Tim Ferris published “The 4-Hour Workweek” — all about how individuals can escape the 9-5 by creating an online business and outsourcing work — nobody talked about that stuff.
Ferriss has an unnerving ability to predict the future, so it’s worth listening to what he has to say. In addition to his key message about online entrepreneurship, there’s a lot we can learn from him about fear and goals.
Your fear is a guide
Obviously, there are cases when this doesn’t apply — if you’re scared of standing too close to the edge of a cliff, that’s a very sensible reaction. But when it comes to less extreme scenarios, our fear can be a very useful indicator.
If we’re scared of something, it’s because we care about it. What would scare you the most — asking out someone on a date who you have very strong feelings for, or someone who you have no feelings for at all? The one you really like, of course.
The same principle applies to business. Business owners are frequently scared of the things they most need to do — perhaps making presentations to investors or paying taxes.
How to start fear-setting
Often, when we’re really scared of something, we haven’t actually decided what it is we’re afraid of or why. That might sound like a contradiction but think a little harder. If you’re a business owner, you could be frightened of having meetings with potential investors — but what is it that you’re really afraid of?
Is it rejection? Losing credibility within your industry and not being able to find any more funding in the future? Being exposed as an imposter?
Similarly, you’re probably not afraid of your taxes — but you might be afraid of penalties as a result of doing them wrong, or encountering something you don’t understand.
Once you know the answers to these questions, you can figure out where you’re really going wrong and form productive goals. This involves figuring out how you can combat your fears and what you would do in the worst-case scenario you’re afraid of.
Tim actually has an entire Ted talk on defining your fears, so definitely check that out if the idea appeals to you.
Feel the fear and do it anyway
Okay, that heading is from another self-help book entirely, but the meaning is applicable.
Do taxes and bookkeeping overwhelm you to the point where you’re afraid to take action? It’s more common than you might think — but don’t let that stop you from doing what needs to be done.
At Gema Consult, we take pride in putting business owners and managers at ease by taking the scary stuff out of their hands. If outsourcing bookkeeping and compliance sounds like putting the right foot forward, why not get in contact with us?
Author
Focus on Chief Level acquisition and sustainability, Ensuring Success One Person at a time
As the Deputy Director in Gema Consult, Winda brings a vast wealth of career experience in human resources in diverse industries spanning over 8+ years. She is one of our team’s top performer whose characteristically works with connecting lot of people with different culture and growing large-and-larger community.
Winda is a great industry leader who excels and creating relationships with teams and individuals, conflict management, and advising management about best practices. She is a proactive problem-solver who leverages the potential of everyone she works with to form a formidable and highly productive workforce. Gema Consult is more than happy to support her goals in exploring exposures – meet Winda with our valuable Clients and shape her career to the board level in the same time.