These 7 fears that sabotage your dreams (and how to overcome them)
We all have projects close to our hearts.
Climbing to the C-Suite. Switching industries. Launching our own business.
They’re there, in the corner of our minds.
We think about them in traffic jams, share them with our best friends, jot down ideas in notebooks. Yet, we hesitate to dive in.
Why? Fear.
Fear of the unknown, of judgment, of rejection. Fear of starting over, of not measuring up, of lacking skills. Fear of messing up, of not being enough.
Our little voice whispers in our ear:
“What if you screw up? What will your friends think? What if this isn’t the right time?”
But time passes. And regrets pile up.
The regret of not trying. The regret of not daring. The regret of not living the life we wanted.
So how do you overcome these fears and get started?
First, we accept that being afraid is normal.
Everyone feels fear.
Even the biggest entrepreneurs, the greatest artists, the most powerful leaders.
Let’s stop trying to make it disappear.
Let’s learn to use it as fuel to launch.
7 fears that sabotage your dreams and how to overcome them :
1/ Fear of the unknown.
The mistake: Trying to control everything, to have all the answers before jumping in.
If everything were certain, there’d be no projects left.
Everything interesting involves risk. It goes hand in hand with opportunity.
Action: Break the project down into smaller chunks. Try an experiment to reduce risk and get feedback.
I started writing publicly under a pseudonym. I wanted to see if I’d like it.
That simple online test (blog, newsletter, LinkedIn) became my main asset to stand out and grow my business.
2/ Fear of judgment.
The mistake: Wondering what they’ll think of me.
Most of the time, people don’t have time to think about you.
And if they do, it’s to reassure themselves about their situation.
Action: Replace “What will they think of me?” with “What’s important to me?
Take 15 minutes and list all the reasons why this project is important to you.
We always have more reasons than we think.
When the going gets tough (and I guarantee it will), review your list.
3/ Fear of rejection.
The mistake: Believing your tribe is the only one.
Reality? There are as many tribes as there are passions.
Action: Find your new tribe. People who support you, who believe in you.
Leaving the corporate world scared me: losing 20 years of ties. In reality, I gained: creators, coaches, entrepreneurs… And I still serve the corporate world, just differently, through coaching.
4/ Fear of discomfort.
The mistake: “I’ll be a newbie again.”
Action: Shift your perspective.
“The more uncomfortable I am, the more I grow.”
Now that your project is broken down into small steps, start with the smallest step that makes you uncomfortable.
A book to take you further: Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang.
5/ The fear of not being good enough.
The mistake: Thinking you need more. Another degree, another certification to get started.
Action: List your strengths, list what you’ve accomplished. Start with that.
You’ll have plenty of time to add certifications for the essentials later.
I started my coaching adventure before I got my diploma.
When I listed my experiences, I realized that I already had the equivalent of 3,000 hours of informal coaching, acquired through my leadership experience.
I then studied coaching in depth, and began to respond to my readers’ first requests.
That helped me pick the right certification courses later.
6/ Fear of lacking skills.
The mistake: Trying to do everything, all at once, alone
Action: Isolate the 20% that will create the 80% of results.
Double down on that, including getting help.
Every time I’ve forgotten this, I’ve wasted a ton of time.
Recent example: growing my LinkedIn influence.
A crucial tool for my business.
- 10 years to gain 1,000 followers, treating LinkedIn like a resume.
- 2 years to go from 1,000 to 4,000 followers, trying to figure it out alone.
- 10 weeks, with a coach, to hit 10,000 followers and a plan to reach 50,000 this year.
You can learn anything. And you’ll get there faster with help.
7/ The Fear of being wrong.
The mistake: Holding onto what they said.
Those predicting failure play an easy game.
Action: It hasn’t worked “yet”. But you haven’t wasted your time.
You’ve gained experience. A pivot, a new idea could revive the project.
The bottom line
Being afraid is normal. It’s not about eliminating fear but acting through it.
Some call it courage. Our projects give us the chance to build it.
Launching is more than just trying to succeed. It’s growing, evolving, becoming the person you want to be. It’s living fully.
Let’s not wait any longer, let’s take the plunge with our fears.
What advice would you give to someone who’s afraid of taking the plunge?
See you soon.
Dror
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