Written by: Amelia Harshfield, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
If you are making your mark on the world, you are probably used to working hard. You likely understand that changing the world is not for the faint of heart. It takes grit, determination, and regularly pivoting after learning from failures. You might be great at striving for the next milestone. You might believe you can finally relax when you hit your big goals.
There are certain fears that keep you working harder than necessary. These fears can lock you into self-sacrificing patterns that slow your business growth. You might be aware of these fears that are stopping you. You might have no clue you are doing them. Not seeing the ways that you are holding yourself back is part of being a person. However, to balance your life more, you need to be aware of what is causing you to work so much to overcome it. Below are four worries that could be keeping you working harder than necessary and a way to start breaking the pattern.
One reason you might be working all the time is you might be afraid of what people might do if you ask them to step up more. You might make excuses for their behavior. You might think that asking others to help more will burden them. You could be nervous that they will abandon you if you challenge their behavior. This can keep you anxious as your fears rest on their reactions. A start to no longer have this first fear is to remember that the right people will want to be accountable in your life. You deserve people who want what is best for you and them.
The second fear you might have that drives you to work harder is believing you have to do everything. As an entrepreneur, you are likely highly talented. You might be able to learn things quickly. That does not mean you must keep doing so much as your business scales. The more you allow others to take on the monotonous tasks the more you can focus on growing your business rather than maintaining it. Something that can begin to remove this second fear is to remind yourself that it is okay to accept help. It can be scary to let go, but at the same time, you deserve support.
The third fear that can trap you into working all the time is believing your business is behind. You might be frustrated with the things that have gone wrong. You could be pushing your business so far forward that you do not allow others to help. Owning a business is convoluted. It requires time, energy, and effort to grow. Some things will go well. Others will not. However, thinking you are behind everyone else will not help you move faster. The Mayo Health Clinic reports that rest and some boredom for adults can actually trigger creativity and the ability to find new solutions. Your body needs attention. Your mind needs rest. You need to laugh and play. One way to start releasing this fear is to learn from your mistakes. Look at what you did to put yourself into that position so you will not repeat that pattern.
The fourth fear is assuming that you are not good enough for success. You could believe you are an imposter and worry that others will see you as a fraud. You may be hoping that when you get to a certain level you will finally be accepted as successful. It is tough to open up to others when this fear is resonating within you. Keeping all this in can have you acting like something you are not. People can sense that, and it might drive them away. Many entrepreneurs question their sense of belonging whether at the beginning of their journey or as they hit different levels of success. It’s normal to have that fear. One way to begin to release the fear is to notice how you do belong with that group of people.
The fewer fears you have the less you will be getting in the way of success. Knowing how to not be held back by these four fears can help bring your business to the next level. That will free up your time to lead more and not waste your time sabotaging yourself. These fears can need more help to release than what is mentioned in this article. You deserve to get some rest and have downtime. Look at how overworking is affecting your life right now. You might be exhausted, you might be resentful deep down of always being responsible for your business, and you might be feeling like you have no choice but to work.
For more help to quiet those fears so you can work less, send me a direct message on social media. My links are below. That way I’ll be able to understand exactly where you are blocked and if I can help you save your time and energy and bring you to the next level of your business.
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Amelia Harshfield, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Amelia Harshfield is fascinated and motivated by what impact makers can achieve as they become more resilient. With a solid education and a master’s degree in economics, she has been creating passive income in Real Estate investing for over 5 years. Her key foundational work is The Overcoming Anxiety Method™, a powerful 4-step formula for playing a bigger game without being crushed by fear. This process is paramount to finding an authentic version of freedom and wealth. Mentoring and educating high-level operators is her passion, her work has been featured in magazines, podcasts, conferences, and she has been a trainer on Sir Richard Branson's Necker Island.
