The 4 Most Common Negative Self-Beliefs That Hold You Back From Entrepreneurial Success
As an anxious-minded, ADHD female founder I can tell you I’ve battled every negative self-belief in the book. Before I dove into entrepreneurship, these negative beliefs held me back from internal work promotions and exciting new opportunities.
But, these beliefs have no real power, I allowed them to hold me back.
When I started a company, I had to actively work to work against them.
In this article, I’ll cover 5 of the most common negative self-beliefs that could be keeping you from success in business.
The top 4 negative beliefs that are sabotaging your success
You may experience one, or you may, like me, experience them all. They all are connected and have a root in fear of failure, and unworthiness.
Let’s take a look at each belief in some detail.
#1 Perfectionism & Procrastination:
“I don’t know enough, so I can’t start YET.” or “I’m not an expert, YET. I’ll wait until I have my Masters.”
Perfection is just fear of failure with a hazy air of procrastination.
I personally get stuck in the research phase of starting projects. I have the feeling that if I can just push enough information in my brain I will be “ready” eventually. But you’re never really ready, are you? The prep phase can last forever. Execution gets pushed off to “someday”.
This is a big barrier to entry. But you know enough my friend. You are good enough. You don’t need that shiny master’s degree to validate your worth. Things won’t be perfect, and that’s the goal. The goal is forward motion, not perfection.
#2 Comparison & Failure To Launch:
“It’s already been done already, so why try?”
Every creative person (if you’re bringing something new into the world, you’re creative) has felt this. The feeling of “it’s already been done” is self-defeatist. Yeah, amazing skincare companies have been built and dominate the space. Kickass lawyers have created personal brands that heighten their work. Every tech software ever has been created.
But it’s not been done by you. You are the special sauce.
Anything you do will be uniquely yours and it has a place in this world.
There’s something to the idea of entitlement. (I know, it’s a negatively connotated word, but stay with me.) To counteract the feeling of “meh I can’t add anything new” switch to the belief that you are entitled to try because you exist. Why not, right?
You do you, and don’t worry about what’s “already been done.” If this were really a legitimate roadblock, amazing projects, businesses, and art would cease to be.
#3 Learning Curve Lasso:
“I don’t know how to do XYZ from start to finish, so I can’t.”
I hate to break it to you but no one knows what they’re doing. None of us. We ascend into adulthood and our careers with the skewed idea that everyone knows what they’re doing and we’re just flailing around.
Everyone is flailing– until they’re not. Until time and the learning curve have refined their skillset.
If you’re a budding entrepreneur, know that none of us knew how to do anything, but we figured it out. There is a consistent and ever-looming learning curve to creating a business. (It makes things fun, to be honest.)
Once you start, you begin putting the pieces together. You start building the skills you need. You refine your process. Until, one day, you are the expert you were waiting to become while you planned your business ideas. The only way there is through the learning curve.
#4 Independent to a Fault:
“I can do this all by myself, I don’t need help.”
Rome wasn’t built in a day and it certainly wasn’t built on the back of one person. You need to learn how to delegate and work to your strengths. Maybe you CAN do everything, but when it comes to scaling and sustaining a business—you just can’t.
If you deal with this negative self-belief, you may feel that reaching out for assistance with your business means you’ve failed somehow. But really, the most successful people have a team of people behind them. No one is doing it by themselves. The hustle and grind culture (which is slowly dying) will have you think otherwise – don’t be fooled.
Don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself to be the person who does it all. Ask for help. Hire an assistant. Outsource the marketing. Do what you have to do so you are free to work to your full potential.
You can figure anything out
Strap on the belief that you are capable of figuring anything out. If you don’t want to invest the time, you are capable of hiring an expert. Don’t let the negative self-beliefs the world has taught you hold you back from your full potential. You are good enough, smart enough, and ready enough to build anything you can dream up.
Lauren Johnson is a writer, entrepreneur, and founder of the sexual wellness company BerryLemon. When she’s not writing about the bedroom, she explores lifestyle topics, female ADHD, and career psychology.
