When I took my first entrepreneurial leap, I was really scared. (And pretty much every single day since then, I’ve felt some type of fear.)

Thing is, when we try and run from fear, it will only continue to follow us.

So how do you embrace fear in order to push forward despite it?

That’s what we’re going to dive in to right here.

3 Ways you can embrace fear

I was quite comfortable in my corporate job: I had a steady paycheck, a team of people around me for support, and good health insurance – I was set.

Taking my entrepreneurial leap meant giving all of that up.

What gave me the courage to take my entrepreneurial leap

It was when I lost a promotion at a job I had been at for 3.5 years that it hit me smack in the middle of my forehead.

It was when my only hope for being recognized, rewarded, and feeling accomplished was ripped away from me.

In that moment, I experienced my first of two major mindset shifts.

I realized at that very moment that I was waiting for someone else to give me what I wanted.

I was waiting for someone to recognize me; reward me; help me feel accomplished.

It was in that exact moment that I also realized that no one else but ME could create that.

That realization is what gave me the courage to take my entrepreneurial leap despite all the fear I was feeling.

What’s at stake?

Once I had that mindset shift, what was at stake for me if I didn’t take my leap was MUCH bigger than any paycheck or the benefits my corporate job could provide. And it was definitely much bigger than standing by, continuing to let fear control my actions.

What was at stake was my freedom.

My ability to grow.

My life.

Have you ever stopped to think about what’s at stake for you?

When I realized what was at stake for me – that was the exact moment I realized I needed to get out of the Corporate World. It was in that moment that I believed there was something bigger out there waiting for me, and also, that I was only person who was capable of getting it for myself.

Did I feel fear? Ohhhh… you better believe it! But I knew that in order to make an impact and create the life I wanted to live, that I needed to embrace my fear.

Embracing fear

One of the biggest mindset challenges that I still face today – nearly four years after taking my first entrepreneurial leap – is one I know we both probably share: the imposter syndrome, which raises questions led by fear, like:

Am I really qualified to be doing this?

Will anyone care about what I have to say?

What if what I create isn’t good enough?

I want to share 3 ways I’ve found to embrace fear in order to breakthrough it, because let’s face it: fear isn’t going anywhere.

However, we do have the opportunity to change our mindset around how we react to fear so that it’s no longer something we allow to hold us back from making an impact and creating the life we want to live.

3 Ways you can embrace fear

1. Community

Surrounding yourself with the right people on your entrepreneurial journey makes all the difference.

Having support is unparalleled, because when you feel like you can’t take that next step – when you find yourself doubting your capabilities and feeling fearful that what you have to say won’t matter – your community will be there to help you move forward despite that fear.

We go in depth on community and building relationships right here, so don’t worry – there’s a lot more info to come on this topic in other posts here on The Fire Path!

2. Baby steps

Sometimes we set ourselves up for failure by looking at what it is we want to accomplish as something that is unattainable: That project is way too big… What if I try it and I fail? or, I don’t know how to do that so I’m not even going to try.

We make excuses because we fear we won’t be able to accomplish this huge project or task that’s before us.

But if we begin to look at our end goal as something we can attain through a series of baby steps, then suddenly it’s not so scary.

Instead of a huge leap from point A to point Z, break down the steps you have to take so you’re starting out with simply finding a way to make it from point A to point B, then from B to C, and so on.

3. Focus outward

A lot of our fears are focused inward on ourselves: I can’t make a difference; I’m not good enough; I don’t have the knowledge; What if I fail?

Instead of focusing inward, let’s instead try to turn our focus outward.

Think about the results of us not putting ourselves out there.

When you allow fear to control your actions, it turns out you’re doing a great disservice to those who you could be helping.

If there’s one thing I want you to take away from this first step on our journey down The Fire Path, it’s this:

In order to make the impact you want to make and start creating the life you want to live, you need to learn to embrace fear. And whenever that’s feeling extra tough, just remember what’s at stake for you.

I’m willing to bet that whatever is at stake for you (time with your family; having to go get a corporate job; not being able to travel; feeling stressed out all the time) is MUCH bigger than the fear you’re letting hold you back.

Take out a piece of paper and actually write out what’s at stake for you.

Then, keep it in a place where you’ll see it every single day.

When you’re up against a deadline; when you’re feeling like you can’t keep going; when you’re frustrated and feeling like you’re not making any progress, look at what’s at stake for you if you don’t push forward.

Remember, mindset is the #1 most important thing as you start your entrepreneurial journey, and it will continue to guide you the entire way.

Next, we’ll be chatting about how to come up with a viable business idea – your first step to creating your business :)