Entrepreneurship is as much an internal journey as it is an external one. No wonder “entrepreneurial mindset” is one of the most overused two-words in the startup space. Despite being overused, many people continue to struggle with it because it can’t be taught in a one day workshop. If you are a new founder, don’t be surprised if your battle with yourself feels bigger than your battle with external circumstances.
In this blog I am not going to write all about entrepreneurial mindset but one core aspect which is being able to stand in your own light and breaking out of the comfort zone built based on fears and insecurities.
Photo 1: Anila at ISM University
Two years ago, I resigned from my dream job at a prestigious organization with the intention to break out of my comfort zone and build something of my own. The most significant lesson I learned from this experience was that I was all wrong about what breaking out of my comfort zone truly meant.
Leaving the comfort and security of a job wasn’t as hard as I had imagined. I had thought breaking out of my comfort zone simply meant stepping away from a well-known brand name, a nice job title, a team, and a consistent income. I remember my last day vividly, walking out of the office with a jumbo mix of emotions. I felt like this is it, I did it, I broke out of my comfort zone.
Soon after, I started my freelance/entrepreneurial journey and it was a pretty smooth sail. I landed some clients and was making a good income as well. However, the real challenge wasn’t external; it was internal.
Few months into the journey, I realized that breaking out of my comfort zone meant more than just finding new work and adjusting in a new place. It meant standing alone in the arena and delivering despite my fears and insecurities. It meant finally starting to believe in myself and my abilities. Every decision, every success, and every failure was mine alone. This independence was both exhilarating and terrifying.
Fast forward to two years, I’ve gone from overthinking a single LinkedIn post to growing a community of over 7,000, serving dozens of clients, delivering projects in multiple countries, and designing a prototype.
But guess what? Although I have come so far, believing in my capabilities still remains a work in progress.
Our insecurities and self-doubt can really take over, especially when embarking on an entrepreneurial journey. As an entrepreneur, we no longer have a brand name, job title, or salary to associate our self-worth with. In the early stages of entrepreneurship, you only have yourself to rely on. Due to various experiences, we often lose our confidence bit by bit as we go through life. When it comes to relying solely on ourselves, we feel this lack of confidence more intensely. As hard as it gets during this time, it also becomes more important than ever to believe in yourself.
The good news is that we can overcome these fears easily with conscious practice. For the last two years I wake up each morning and train myself to believe in myself.
Here is a quick list that worked for me and you might wanna try as well?
- Acknowledge Your Fears: Fear is a natural emotion which is supposed to protect us. Know and accept that it’s there, and don’t try to suppress it to begin with.
- Build a Support System and burn bridges: Surround yourself with supportive people who believe in you but also very importantly burn bridges where necessary.
- Lean into discomfort: Post that linkedin post, share that youtube video, show up at that networking event, send that proposal and ask for that meeting. Whatever it might be, go for it knowing that it’s nerve wracking initially but it will get better.
- Embrace imperfection: as cliche as it may sound, there is beauty in imperfection. But forget the beauty, there is just no other way to do anything good without doing it imperfectly first.
- Invest in Yourself: Invest time, money, energy and whatever it takes to help you be the best version of you. Buy courses that you would love, go for solo hikes, take the day off, block quiet hours, hit the gym, eat healthy, write your journal, and whatever works best for you.
Entrepreneurial journey is an adventure ride which brings along all kinds of emotions. It can have its own challenges but there is nothing more blissful, if you are on the ride! GO FOR IT!
Let your light shine bright without standing in your own way!
By Anila Shaheen
