“Nine out of 10 startups fail.”

                                                                                 – Fortune Magazine

As an entrepreneur, experiencing crippling moments of self-doubt can seem totally unavoidable. Here are five steps to help newcomers, as well as established entrepreneurs, to use helpful mental tools to overcome your self-doubt and create a successful company.

1. Determine What The Worst Outcome Is

“You are your worst enemy. It is your negative thoughts that hold you back, nothing else.”

                                                                                             – Leon Brown

People, not just business owners, are afraid of failure. As business owners, this fear has greater potential for negative ramifications. Most of the time though, a worst case scenario is just something we make up in our heads. However, carefully considering such scenarios, rather than letting them haunt you, can be a great method for overcoming your worries. By doing so, you’ll realise that your entrepreneurial pursuits are not going to jeopardise the most important things in your life – like financial security or your health. Once you have confidence in this, you’ll realise that it’s okay to take the leap of faith with your startup or dig down deeper in your established business model.

2. Stop Worrying About What Others Think

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

                                                                                              – Steve Jobs

Paying attention to the thoughts and perceptions of others can become a major problem if you find that you are wasting time and energy trying to impress or respond to other people. There’s only so much energy you have within a day, so instead of wasting it worrying about what others think, direct this energy towards making your company more successful. There will always be someone telling you that what you’re doing is wrong, and usually this is because they don’t quite understand your project. Be happy to take advice, but don’t waste time worrying about the negative opinions of others. Stay on track!

3. Stop Making Excuses

“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”

                                                                  – George Washington Carver

You have to have confidence in your own actions. When we’re afraid to take a risk or make a decision, we tend to make excuses – but there is really no need for this! As Steven Pressfield says in Do The Work! Overcome Resistance And Get Out Of Your Own Way, “The enemy is our chattering brain, which, if we give it so much as a nanosecond, will start producing excuses, alibis, transparent self-justifications, and a million reasons why we can’t/shouldn’t/won’t do what we know we need to do.” 

Just remember that this is your project, so it’s okay to put your trust in yourself – be confident that your actions are right and you will become more confident as a person in general.

4. Forgive Yourself

“There is no sense in punishing your future for the mistakes of your past. Forgive yourself, grow from it, and then let it go.”  

                                                                                    – Melanie Koulouris

Don’t waste time beating yourself up for mistakes you’ve made in the past. Every entrepreneur has made mistakes. Choosing to feel conflicted or regretful will only hinder your efforts in reaching your ultimate goal. Tell yourself that moving on is okay. As long as you have learnt from your mistake, there is no reason for it to haunt you. Move on, move up!

Be on the lookout for future articles on more ways to overcome your start-up fears. Follow us on Twitter @TheVLNetwork!