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What It’s Like To Have Entrepreneurship Anxiety

Identify your roadblocks and obstacles. Make it your mission to conquer them ... one email or deadline at a time. Here's how to start.

Photo: Lisa Fourman, founder of Mystique MGMT; Source: Courtesy Photo
Photo: Lisa Fourman, founder of Mystique MGMT; Source: Courtesy Photo

As entrepreneurs, we are all bound to encounter tasks we don’t like to do. But we have to do them because – if not you … who?

Who else is going to:

 

  • make sure you file your business taxes with the accountant on time?
  • cold-call potential clients?
  • scout out new office spaces?
  • have the tough talks with clients?
  • take the leap and scale operations in a new market?

 

These are just a few examples of decisions and obligations that are often accompanied with anxiety.

You want someone else to do them, but you’re not at a place in business where you can outsource or hire for these things.

 I want to assure you that you aren’t the only one business owner who deals with this sort of anxiety on a daily basis.

Being an entrepreneur comes with its own set of challenges, for sure. So, let me share why it is alright to feel anxious over certain tasks.

 

Sources of business anxiety

For me, there are two small, but prominent, areas of anxiety that continue to pop up in my business:

 

1. Email

I’m sure you’ve received an email that brought about panic. You read it over twice to make sure you were reading it correctly. It reads: “Let’s meet you in person before signing any contracts.”

Photo: © opolja, YFS Magazine

As an online business owner, the thought frightens the living crap out of you. But what else are you going to do about it? You need the money. You may also be too terrified to hit reply because you know you’ll have to answer with a “yes.” You want the contract so badly, you’d do almost anything for it.

Before you panic about an in-person meeting with a potential client, consider how public speakers practice mindfulness; and apply the principles to your situation. These tips can help you in any scenario that involves pitching your services.

 

2. Deadlines

You are not the only one who gets panicked over deadlines. My issue is that I need everything to be perfect. I have to meet milestones early or I worry about it every day until the project is due.

Life has always been this way for me. It’s like this for other entrepreneurs as well. But before you panic about a deadline, pause for a moment. Think about what you will share with the client. Do you want them to see this version of the final product or not?

 Consider your approach more carefully. You may need to move from unconscious mediocrity to conscious empowerment … and that means it’s time to detox and declutter.

 

You’re not alone

Entrepreneurship anxiety is common.

 There is so much we have to focus on as business owners that sometimes it’s too much for us.

 

Overcoming anxiety can be a huge obstacle. Yet it’s all about your mindset when it comes time to face hardships – large and small.

 

How To Conquer Entrepreneurship Anxiety - YFS Magazine
Photo Credit: Bench Accounting, Unsplash

Reach out to your peer and professional network, have authentic conversations and you’ll truly see that you aren’t alone. 

Creating a network of other like-minded peers in your niche can be a blessing. You can ask questions that keep you stuck, have someone to speak to, or simply share your problems with someone who will listen.

Even the most seasoned of entrepreneurs have anxiety.

 The triggers may not be the same, but they exist nonetheless.

One way I’ve started to overcome my anxiety is to speak about this challenge in Facebook Groups I have joined. This has been a great outlet for me and it has prompted other entrepreneurs to share how they feel the same way.

It’s all about community – people you can connect with on a deeper level. If you aren’t in a Facebook Group, I encourage you to find one in your niche. You can even look it up on Facebook, using keywords. It’s that easy!

 

Conquer your anxiety

When you are experiencing entrepreneurship anxiety, it’s about achieving happiness in your business, but also to reach a new flow within it. Reframe your thoughts. 


Consider everything you’ve accomplished so far in business. Identify your roadblocks and obstacles. Make it your mission to conquer them … one email or deadline at a time.

 

This article has been edited.

Lisa Fourman is the founder of Mystique MGMT, where she provides social media management, email management, and blog post creation for female entrepreneurs who are overwhelmed. She found a love for her work through Mystique upon her first role as social media manager for her current employer. She became an entrepreneur upon her decision to fulfill her own dreams at work instead of someone else’s.

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