Do you find yourself searching for reasons to not do something you know you need to do to reach your goals? Or engaging in self-sabotaging behaviors that may ruin your chances of succeeding?
Chances are you’re acting this way because you don’t feel ready for the next big thing that’s coming your way. But you can’t keep stalling forever. Here are three ways you can motivate yourself to get started, even if you don’t feel quite ready yet.
1. FEEL THE FEAR, AND DO IT ANYWAYS.
Most entrepreneurs feel scared before taking on a new project or endeavor for one simple reason: they believe they lack knowledge. What we mean by that is not that they haven’t studied enough textbooks — it’s that they don’t know with 100% certainty what the outcome of their actions will be. They are faced with incertitude. In this case, there are two things you can do to beat this feeling:
For starters, you can educate yourself on whatever it is that you aren’t feeling confident about. If you’re afraid of a particular situation arising (which is always a possibility in real estate!), then you can educate yourself on what to do if you are faced with different scenarios. This can provide you with some comfort knowing you are — at least somewhat — prepared.
However, if you can’t pinpoint what it is you’re scared to face, then you can’t educate yourself to erase that fear. In this case, you should resort to the second thing one must do when facing fear: embrace it. You are allowed to feel scared — and you don’t need to get rid of it in order to move forward. You can still take action and feel fear at the same time. Feel the fear but do it anyway.
2. KICK PERFECTIONISM TO THE CURB
If you keep pushing back the launch date of your new project because you want to perfect all of the details, you’re not a perfectionist — you’re a procrastinator. The reality is there’s no such thing as a “perfect plan.” Investing so much time into details is more often a delaying tactic than anything else.
Plans often derail within the first few days of being put into effect, and that is okay. The reality of the situation will evolve and you can adapt accordingly along the way. Don’t sweat the details — it’s more important to focus instead on where you’re headed, and what you can control to get yourself there.
3. REPLACE “WHAT IF I FAIL?” WITH “WHAT IF I TAKE ACTION NOW?”
Fear of failure is a huge blockage for many entrepreneurs — and it’s normal! The pain of losing is a lot stronger than the pride we experience from winning. But the way we speak to ourselves may be getting in our way of getting started. If you find yourself often asking “what if” questions that revolve around failing and worst-case scenarios, you will keep delaying the first step towards your goal, because you are trying to preemptively avoid the loss.
But if we take those same “what if” questions and instead open our minds to the possibilities we can experience if we were to begin, we may just free ourselves from the fear of failure we hold on so tightly to. Ask yourself: What if I started today? Play out that scenario in your head — it might motivate you to make the first move.
You don’t need to see the full staircase to be able to take the first step. While it may take a lot for you to begin, these three tips can help you jumpstart your journey towards your goals.