It’s a great day to muster up some courage.
Have you ever felt completely terrified in your career? Maybe you needed to bring up an uncomfortable topic, or you decided to go after a client that feels just out of reach, or maybe you’re finally ready to launch a new product or service.
In my more-than-two-decades-long career as a serial entrepreneur, I’ve gone through these scenarios more times than I can count. And if you’re hoping for some sage wisdom that it gets less scary in time, let me disappoint you–because it doesn’t. I’d venture to say that just about every day, I feel fearful–sometimes in small ways, sometimes larger, but it’s always there. It doesn’t matter how many stages I’ve presented on, how many successful businesses I’ve built, how many clients I secure. Fear is a part of everyday life as someone who’s adamant about wanting more.
The one thing I have learned about fear, though, is how to use it to my advantage. For example, I’ve learned that fear is an important gauge to determine how big I’m dreaming. If there’s not a healthy mix of being both excited and absolutely terrified by a project, I can tell that I’m not thinking big enough.
Alternatively, fear is one of the most important springboards I use for getting to the never-ending next levels of my career. What I mean by that is that there’s always someone who’s doing what I’m doing, but better–someone more creative, more successful, more innovative. And I don’t have to tell you what comes along with competition (but I will, it’s impostor syndrome). When I feel those feelings creeping in, the ones that tell me I’ll never be able to accomplish what someone else did, it’s a signal that tells me it’s time to strategize and overcome. It’s the exact motivation I need to figure out how to fulfill my ambitions, and to do it my way. Fear is a powerful driver in helping me carve out just how creative I can be. Just when I think I’ve reached my max, there’s fear to help me dig deeper and evolve.
Something else that makes me wide-eyed with fear? Standing up in front of all my peers, competitors, and the world at large, and asking to be judged for it. Which might surprise you, considering that I’ve made a living as a speaker and presenter. I think we all fear judgment, or looking foolish. But I always go back to what I know: That if I’m scared, then that’s the thing that I should definitely do.
In that same vein, in my latest fearful pursuit, I put it all on the line in a new article published by Paradise Valley City Lifestyle Magazine. In it, I spoke about being scared shitless–and why I continue to constantly chase that feeling. It’s one of my biggest missions as an entrepreneur to normalize being afraid, encourage others to talk about it more, and to shift our perspective on it so we can see fear for the true power player that it really is.
I have to know: What’s the scariest thing you’ve done lately in your career?
James Patrick
jamespatrick.com
