Are you ready for a new beginning??!

Most people SAY they are ready for a new beginning, especially at the new year...

But rarely do we actually take any action to make it happen. Why?

Too often fear gets in the way.

Particularly one type of fear - Fear of Failure.

Fear of Failure Unmasked

In discussing the possibility and the potential risks and benefits of starting a new business, either online or brick and mortar, many concerns come up.

I have found that the concerns people most commonly express at the outset, “I can’t afford it” and “I don’t have the time,” generally function as smokescreens.

Each time I hear one of these responses, I think, Really? 

What you’re doing now has you broke and too busy to create the life of your dreams. How is that working for you?

It seems these two conditions provide perfect incentives to say “yes!” to opportunity.

Of course, I don’t actually express these observations out loud—people have to realize these things for themselves.

Nevertheless, in my 60+ years in business and thousands of discussions, I have never met anyone who was really stopped by a lack of money or time.

People get around limitations of time and money in all kinds of creative ways. I know a guy who sold his motorcycle to start a business so he could spend more time with his family.

I knew he loved that motorcycle, so I asked him why he sold it. He said, “I love my family more.”

A bit of probing often reveals that these excuses of “no money or time” hide an underlying force that most people balk at facing directly: fear of failure.

Most people will say they dream of a better life and wish they could find a real opportunity, but the paralyzing fear of failure stops countless dreamers in their tracks.

Over time I have discovered that fear of failure, in turn, conceals an even deeper concern for preserving one’s reputation.

The primary roadblock that stops people from going into business for themselves arises from a misplaced value of keeping up appearances.

If you’ve ever had a sense that a fear of failure keeps you from proceeding toward your dreams, please consider that you may not be afraid of failure as such.

Perhaps you’re afraid of looking like a loser to your friends and family. You’re afraid of not fitting in. Let’s examine that.

When you learned to ride a bike, how many times did you fail? The first day after I got my first bicycle I was riding along the road in front of our house. A car had come up behind me, the driver honked his horn, I fell over. In the middle of the road! A few days later I was riding all over - with no more mishaps.

No matter how many times you scraped and bruised yourself falling off, just like me, you kept getting back on.

Why was it okay to fail and keep going then, but not in business? Because not learning to ride a bike would make you an outcast.

All your friends would be riding past you and laughing as you walked to school. It’s all about conformity, and what matters most is what your peer group expects.

Here’s another example: When you finish second grade, you’re expected to go on to third grade.

If it looks like it might not happen, you get encouragement, special attention, maybe some discipline or tutoring. But failure is not an option. Why?

It’s simply because in your community people are expected to go from second grade to third grade. 

Later on you are now in tenth grade.

Do you go on to eleventh grade? That depends. Do most of the people in your community finish high school? If most of the people finish, then that’s what’s expected of you.

This confirms every parent’s intuition:You become just like the people you hang around.

And let’s face it; the majority of your friends and family are not likely to risk their reputations to start their own business.

You can get either encouragement or DIScouragement from your family - especially parents or spouses. (You can't choose your parents, but you should choose your spouse very carefully if you value peace and ENcouragement.)

The pull of conformity is stronger than gravity. So you have to choose either to pursue your dream or to fit in with the crowd.

Sadly most people would rather spend the rest of their days complaining that they lack the time or money to enjoy life than do anything about it—if that means defying their peers’ expectations.

What would people think? What will people think of you if you fail in business? Frankly, you probably wouldn’t care what people think about you if you realized just how seldom they do.

"In order to succeed you must fail so that you know what NOT to do the next time." Anthony D'Angelo

"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." Henry Ford

TRUE SUCCESS DEPENDS ON YOUR ENJOYMENT

You'll never achieve real success unless you like what you're doing. What you do is more important than how much money you make. 

How you feel about what you do is more important than what you do. The more you love what you're doing, the more successful it will be for you. 

Don't set compensation as your goal. Find the work you like and the compensation will follow.

You don't pay the price of success, you enjoy the price of success.

ALWAYS BE PREPARED FOR SUCCESS

There is no shortage of opportunity. Everyday you’re presented with countless opportunities to be, or do whatever you desire. 

Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. Don’t miss out on an opportunity because you’re not prepared. Your preparation is absolutely essential. 

To achieve success, you must have self discipline. You must increase your knowledge and develop your skills. 

You’re always at the right place at the right time when you’re prepared.

Are you ready to make your "new beginning"?

The time to start is NOW.

It is just one month until Ground Hog Day. Soon after that, tulips and Easter will appear. Blink your eyes a couple of times and we will be celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas again.

The year 2017 will zing by whether you make the changes you want OR NOT.

What are your plans for 2017? Have you made them yet?

It is time to get in gear. 

I will be here all year with advice and help. 

But only YOU can take the action you need to take.

I know you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, and please understand that NOTHING IS OUTSIDE YOUR REACH.