By Frank Tagarira Is fear holding you back in starting or completing that business project? Personally I think fear has robbed and is continually robbing mankind of vast opportunities which could be used for the betterment of mankind. Fear is a very destructive force. It kills enthusiasm, encourages procrastination, eliminates self-confidence, drains your energy, and decreases imagination. Many times people think about excellent money-making ideas which can turn them into millionaires. Unfortunately, they lack courage to turn such ideas into millions because of fear. Fear takes the charm from one’s personality and invites nothing but disaster, leading to many sleepless nights, misery, poverty and unhappiness. Why do you have fear in the first place? Fear is just but a state of mind. Tell me, will you let a state of mind deter you from achieving your objectives? Would you let a state of mind bring poverty and misery to your life? I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t let any state of mind deter me from my objectives. Fear not and take your chances. One writer said F.E.A.R. is an acronym for “False Evidence Appearing Real”. This is 100% true. Overcoming fear can lead you to implementing that business idea, making money and improving virtually every aspect of your life. There Are Many Ways to Overcome Fear One of my favourites is to gather as much information as you can (about any subject) other than merely based on gossip/hearsay. People have a habit of blowing things out of proportion, something I personally call the “panic attack”. I remember when I wanted to invest in some small shares on the stock exchange. Friends (who had never in their lives bought any shares) were telling me that I could lose all my money in one day and that I should consider safer investment opportunities. Okay, this advice is good for some people but I consider it advice based on Fear, mere hearsay. I decided to gather information on the stock market, I attended an investment workshop, surfed the Internet, read books on investment, and subscribed to newsletters. Guess what, by gathering facts and information, you can overcome your fear and possibly make a good return on your investment ideas. Another good way of overcoming fear is having a mentor. A mentor is not an advisor or consultant. A mentor is someone who has achieved what you want to achieve and has indicated his/her willingness to help you. A mentor will advise you on the shortcuts and the mistakes that you should avoid. By having a mentor, your fear is gone since he/she will always be there to guide you. This also can save you time on trial and error. Just do it. I borrow the slogan from Richard Branson’s book (Lessons Learned in Life). Yes, this is another way of overcoming fear. Most of the times, when you have a plan to achieve wealth, you tend to think too much and worry too much. You suffer from a disease called analysis paralysis. As a result, there is no action taken. Do not think too much and just do it. I’m not suggesting you to do it blindly. My advice is do not over-think, keep it simple, and just do it. Remember, indecision leads to fear. You’ll be surprised that once you did it, it’s not that difficult anyway. And the fear you had before just disappeared. Ask yourself this question: “What is the worst thing that can happen to me in this situation?” If the worst-case scenario is acceptable to you and you’re willing to take the risks, by all means, go ahead. You are aware up front that even though you fail, you already know the consequences. The awareness of the worst-case scenario eliminates the fear in you, fear that holds you back. It’s even better if you know that the probability of getting the worst-case scenario is slim, this motivates you even further to take action to achieve your goals. One hip-hop artist sang “Get rich or die trying”. Try out your ideas, learn from your shortcomings and most important of all fear nothing. The more you fear, the more you need to confront your fear. You have to confront your fear, not to avoid it as what most people do. If you do not confront the fear head on, the fear will be always there. If you fear public speaking, the only way to overcome this fear is to stand in front of an audience and speak. I don’t think there is a better way to do this, do you? Finally, believing in yourself helps you to overcome fear. You must believe that you can do it. You deserve a better life whoever you are and if fear is holding you back simply confront it by changing your state of mind. Fear not and live your life to the fullest. BE BOLD BE BRAVE BE EXCITED. * Frank Tagarira is a SME Development Consultant. He studied with ACCA (Association of Chartered Accountants-Glasgow U.K.)