Is doubt really the death of the aspiring entrepreneur?
Doubt and entrepreneurship
Does doubt mean we don’t have what it takes?
The doubt...it comes and goes, right?
As entrepreneurs, we feel inspired and on fire one minute and then shot down the next by a million possibilities and all the barriers that come with them.
Suddenly, we're pretty sure we couldn't pull it off even if we knew EXACTLY how to do it. I know that feeling well and so do almost all early visionaries I know. Having vision and a fire in you is wonderful....it's also hard. And it comes with so much at stake.
That fire in your belly means you know you have the potential (and built-in-capacity) to build something big and meaningful. Yes, there's some fear mixed in, but it's the doubt that feels most dangerous. What if we don’t have what it takes? What if we can’t handle it? What if I decide on a path and it’s not the right one? What if I screw it all up? What if I let everyone down?
These questions stop far too many changemakers from making their impact on the world.
Yes, that doubt is telling us something, but maybe not what you think.
So, what is that doubt really telling us?
After working with & studying changemakers all over the world, one thing became quite clear. We all seem to experience an early pattern of learning on our journey to making an impact through our work.
Here’s what it looks like: We have high points when we get clear & focused on what we're meant to do or how to do it and then often (and sometimes quickly) drop into doubt or fear (usually both). It comes in the form of overwhelm, frustration, fear, confusion, even depression.
The trigger can be anything from outside feedback, new brilliant ideas that surface (my favorite), unexpected opportunities that distract us, realizing our vision is totally out of our current capabilities (another favorite), not feeling supported by your friends & family, even simply not being organized and keeping track of our clarity.
Why do we struggle to stay clear?
Why does this happen? Why can't we keep that clarity & certainty? Does it mean we're not capable or meant to bring something this big or meaningful into the world? We question all of it. We doubt we're enough. We get overwhelmed before we even really start.
It's messy. REALLY MESSY.
And then...if we stick with it and work towards clarity....we realize something powerful. Something that makes everything clear again. This time we stay clear longer and we make progress. We get a little traction.
The Clarity-Chaos Continuum
I call this the Clarity-Chaos Continuum and it's a big piece of being a changemaker. I talk about this more in the Impact Clarity Course, you can join this for free here.
But here’s the big takeaway - If you have the fire, you already have the capability to deliver something big already. Meaning that we're not walking around with big ideas and missions that we have no capacity to deliver on. We're living in this passion BECAUSE we're capable.
Now, don't confuse capable with doing it all yourself . Being capable means that in time, you have everything you need inside you to bring a clear vision & mission to life. And just because it isn’t clear yet, simply means it’s not not clear…YET.
Clarity is a process, not a gift.
Your job (and mine) it to help you get clarity around your vision, so you can talk about it and start building it. It IS YOU, I promise.
Melissa Davis
Founder, humanity inc.
melissa@humanityinc.world