DesignBiz Rx Weblog

One of the best parts of being a small or solo business is that you’re free to implement any great, crazy idea you think of. But one of the worst parts is that as a small or solo business you often have no one to bounce those ideas off of and get legitimate feedback. Instead, we often let our ideas dissolve under the weight of our own personal F.E.A.R. factors.

What do I mean by F.E.A.R? It stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. It’s the second-guessing and self-doubting most of us of prone to do, fretting and worrying over the what-ifs until that idea just seems crazy and not so great at all.

So the next time you get a brilliant, must-do idea for your business, that you almost immediately start self-editing…take a moment and try this exercise. Grab a sheet of paper and divide it into three columns. In the left column list your fears—the worries, concerns and issues regarding this new idea. In the middle column list the evidence that the specific concern is legitimate and justified. In the right column list the evidence that the specific concern is unjustified, or can be fairly easily resolved.

Give yourself the time and the credit to let your ideas flourish or fail on their own merit, without handicapping them by your own self-doubts. Putting this all on paper and making yourself think through both sides of your fear issues often crystalizes the real reasons we put so many ideas on hold. 

For the final step, just think about what would happen if you tried the idea and some of those negative issues actually came true. Would you lose some money? Some time? Some business? Even if the idea is a failure, would you gain something? Knowledge? New contacts? A new skill? Those are the risks you should be evaluating and not letting F.E.A.R. drive your decisions.