Here are 3-step in Facing Your Fears As An Entrepreneur, the process for overcoming fears (and excuses) and moving forward to achieve the business success you desire.

1) Shine the light on your fears and write them down.

Here is a process for acknowledging your fears. Break them down by answering the following in your journal or notebook

• First, write down what you want to accomplish (Ex: Write a book)
• Next, write down exactly what scares you about this goal (Ex: I’m scared no one will like it, I’ll get bad reviews, I won’t make any money, etc.).
• Vividly describe each one of these fears in detail. (Ex: This will mean my mother was right when I told her about my big dream of being an author and she said I’ll never make it.)
• What excuses/avoidance tactics are you using to hold you back? (Ex: I keep finding other things to do besides sitting down to begin my book outline.)
• Next, write down as many answers as you can brainstorm: What are the worst possible things that can happen if I fail? (Ex: I’ll have to get a job)And then rate each consequence you list on a scale of zero (no effect on your life at all) to 10 (would have a long-lasting, negative effect on you).
• Go through each point you listed above and imagine the scenarios that you just wrote down. Ask yourself, if this outcome happened, what could I do to repair the damage and get things swinging back in a positive direction? (Ex: I’ll get a job and start on a new book that I’ll work on in the evenings)
• Then, write down all of the consequences of not ever trying to reach your goal. (Ex: If I don’t write my book, I’ll have to keep working at a job I hate, I’ll never get my message out into the world, I’ll never know that I CAN do it.)Remember, regrets are often worse than fears.
• Finally, write down every positive thing that could happen if you do complete your goal. Dream big, here. (Ex: I could become a best-selling author, I could get speaking gigs, I could quit my job to write full time, etc.).

2) Reframe your entrepreneurial fears and write your daily affirmations

In achieving your goals in facing your fears as an entrepreneur you need write down your long-term goals in a dedicated notepad every morning before you read your emails or go online. Include all of your targeted results for your particular achievement.

These affirmations will help you stay focused on your big dream, why you’re doing it, and where you’re going. The positive aspects you identified in the previous phase will serve as a solid foundation.

They should be written in the “I am…” format. This implies that you write things as if they are already taking place. Create them in the image of your future self.

So, in keeping with my previous example of producing a book, I might make a list of affirmations that looks like this:

• I am a bestselling author.
• I have dozens of glowing 5-star reviews on Amazon.
• I am a productive writer and words come to me easily.
• I write something each and every day.
• I am a confident writer and being intensely creative is my natural state.
• I make my full-time income from my writing.
• And so on.

Each morning, you should rewrite these, as well as any additional affirmations that come to you. Hang a copy up next to your workspace so that you can see them throughout the day.

When you start off my day in this way, it will keep you focused on the exact activities that will get me to accomplish your goal.

By writing your “I am…” statements before you do anything else, you are a lot less likely to get stuck in a fear mode. Instead, you will feel brave and take on the specific activities that will allow you to achieve your future desired state.

If you start feeling fear during the day, step away from your desk temporarily and read your affirmations aloud.

As you write the statements down, say them to yourself inside your head.

Then reread each one aloud and take a moment to visualize each affirmation and feel the emotions that each future outcome would bring to you.

3) Take consistent action in spite of your fear

Here’s a little secret for you.

All entrepreneurs are facing their fears as an entrepreneur.

Especially when they are stepping out into new territory and doing something they’ve never done before.

But what’s different about the people who build thriving, successful businesses and live their big dreams is that they:

• take bold, consistent action in spite of the fear
• trade short-term discomfort for long-term success
• feel the fear and walk into it
• have processes (like the one I shared above) to move them beyond their fear
• know that if they do fail at something they try, they’ll learn from it and do it over but better.
• stop comparing themselves to others
• don’t focus on excuses, but work to find solutions
• avoid being busy and focus on productivity
• celebrate their wins, even if they are small
• know that action builds confidence and expertise
• set a plan and then break it down into small actionable steps
• surround themselves with other people willing to go for their dreams