I’ve been working online for the last seven years. I’m almost a dinosaur, huh? As much as the way we do things online has changed during this time, one thing has stayed the same to this day. The number one reason why I see people stopping themselves from starting a website (or something new in general) is fear. In fact, fear is the driving factor that keeps us from reaching our full potential and holds us from progression.

Many of us struggle with inner battles every single day. We are paralyzed by the fear of starting and don’t believe in ourselves.

I feel so powerless when I see my beloved friends questioning their ability to start something on their own or quit that job they hate. I want to give them the warmest hug and assure that they are enough to go for it. If only it would be that simple tho…

When planning to write this post, I was actually thinking of providing you with a bunch of tips on how you can stop being afraid, but when I’ve realized that for you to truly overcome them you need to face them directly first. This might be uncomfortable, but let’s dive in.

#1 You’re Afraid Of What You Don’t Know

Ok, I get it. You’re stuck in your 9-5 job. It bores you to death, but it’s pretty comfortable. You know what you’re doing, your co-workers are not the worst kind of people and the pay covers your bills. It does not sound that bad to me, but let me ask you this: do you feel excited? Do you wake up in the morning thrilled to get your day started? If not, when what do you have to lose?

The truth is, you can always get back to where you’ve started. You’ve already got there somehow, so you’ll find your way to get back to it if you have to.

However, you must understand that anything worth having will require you to make a change.

Anything worth having will require you to make a change.

Unfortunately, there’s no other way around this. Admitting that change is inevitable might be just what you need to let go of the fear & take that first step.

#2 You’re Afraid To Commit

You might be a busy bee already, so committing to something new might be too big of a challenge on its own. Starting something new will undoubtfully require you to dedicate a chunk of your time to make it all happen, but I bet you’ll find a way to handle it.

I often laugh at myself for prioritizing work over fun, but the truth is – I love spending time working on my projects. In fact, I love it so much that if I could, I would spend 24 hours/day working, doing research or thinking about the next idea that might help me grow. Now I’m not a complete idiot, so I understand that my family needs me & I need some sleep too, so I constantly remind myself to take the time off.

The reason I’m telling you this is to show that yes, you might need to make changes in the way you manage your time and might even need to give up something you enjoy, but once you start something you absolutely love doing – it won’t feel like such a hard job.

#2 You’re Not Ready To Put Yourself Out There

Doubting yourself is natural. We all do that. Even the most outgoing person you meet often questions if he’s good enough. Putting yourself out there, introducing your ideas to the world might sound scary, but it’s so worth it. In the end, you should not care what other people think of you if they do not wish you well.

Care less about what others think of you. Care more about what you think of you.

#4 You’re Too Afraid To Fail

It’s important to understand that in everything that we do, there’s always a chance that we’ll fail. Even the safest scenario might be dragging you towards the end. If it’s down to happen it will, no matter how secure you think you are. I know this might sound scary, but I just want to show you that you can not protect yourself from failure and plan everything.

Face it, embrace it, take a deep breath and move on.

Look at the worst-case scenario. You might be afraid to understand this worst-case may actually not be that bad. Recognizing this can help. Alternatively, having a “Plan B” in place can help you feel more confident about moving forward, so sit down and write down what you might do if it all doesn’t work out.

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Facing your fears is never comforting, but it’s crucial for us. I wish this text inspires you to analyze what’s stopping you! You can always find me on Instagram if you want to ask any questions or need some encouragement!

P.S. We currently have CYBER WEEK SALE going on kotrynabassdesign.com, so you can finally start that website of yours without breaking your wallet! Go-Go-Go!