This fear locks many women from starting their businesses or even expanding the existing ones. For many years, entrepreneurship and investing have remained a field for men since they are perceived as greater risk-takers.
Could the fear of failure be holding you back? Below are some of the signs that fear of failure is holding you back.
- You Are Hesitant to Take on Opportunities
Normally, you will come up with excuses to avoid trying something new. Most people would rather stick with what they already know or are used to doing. Avoiding business opportunities and even events that put you or your ideas out there could mean you fear failure. This hinders you from taking risks, becoming creative, and networking with other business persons.
- You Have Low Expectations of Yourself
The fear that you may not be good enough for a given task shows you have low expectations of yourself. Whenever you are presented with an opportunity, what crosses your mind is that you will fail. Fear of failure will make you complacent in whatever situation you are in. Even when you know that you deserve better and are capable of greater successes, you settle for less.
- Past Failures Remain Glued in You
You beat yourself up over every mistake you make, no matter how small. It is also possible that when things go wrong, you find yourself subconsciously taking yourself as a failure. You are negative towards yourself and ridicule even the progress you have made. At this point, you feel that even the milestones you have made were out of sheer luck and not your ability.
How Do You Overcome the Fear of Failure in Business as a Woman?
Network With Other Women in Business
You will get inspiration from women who have already made it in the business world by networking. Finding women who can mentor you will go a long way in enabling you to conquer the fear of failure. Their experiences and the challenges they have had to overcome will help you appreciate the point you are in your journey.
Celebrate Your Achievements
Recognize the achievements you have made along your entrepreneurship journey. Embracing your accomplishments will increase your courage, strength, and resilience. By looking at what you have previously achieved, you will appreciate that it took your efforts. This further increases your self-perspective and motivation to handle even greater tasks.
Push Yourself Beyond Your Comfort Zone
Be willing to take financial risks that you have been pushing aside for the longest time. Also, put yourself out there to sell out your ideas and get creative. Focus more on growing your business and achieving the goals you set out when starting.
Being a Woman Is Not a Valid Reason for Fear of Failure
As a woman in business, you need to master the ability to turn your fear into your motivation. Do not let fear of failure hinder you from making business decisions that would have your money growing. Additionally, it is essential to stop believing that you need to be perfect, as this will always hold you back.
Sources: Research Gate, Enterprise Research, Tsuts’Weye, Ellevate Network, Entrepreneur
