How to Overcome Your Fears and Commit in 2024

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It’s amazing how resilient we are. Isn’t it?

Just stop for a minute and reflect on all of the challenges you’ve overcome this year. Some, mere hurdles to step over. Others, seemingly insurmountable. And yet, you made it here… past all of them.

But with each new challenge, we question ourselves. We forget our past wins and doubt all of our abilities. We negate the skills we’ve built and diminish all of our authority.

We sink into our fears. But not a fear of failing…

A fear of the unknown. A fear of change.

And as I learned from my friend Bree, behind that fear of change is actually a fear of loss.

When attempting something new, there are six types of loss we spiral through:

1/ Loss of time

We start here, relegating time as our enemy.

We say things like, “I just don’t have the bandwidth.”

Sometimes that’s right and true. Sometimes our attention is better served elsewhere.

But as we consider a new idea or experimental venture, we use time to shield us from the real five impending losses…

2/ Loss of familiarity

As we step out into the unknown, we’re immediately surrounded by strange situations, decisions, and actions.

In our heads, that sounds like, “What’s worked for me before, may not work this time.”

3/ Loss of competence

With our loss our familiarity, we sink deeper, questioning our ability to get the job done.

We tell ourselves, “I”m not sure if I have what it takes to do this.”

4/ Loss of narrative

As our incompetence grows, we lose track of our story.

We think, “I’m no longer sure what I’m doing or why it matters.”

5/ Loss of pride

And as our story unravels, we’re forced to release the old and make space for the new.

We come to realize: “I need to let go of parts of myself I was once proud of.”

6/ Loss of control

At the very bottom, stripped of our pride, our story, our competence, and our familiarity, we glimpse our potential to fail.

We accept, “I may give this everything I’ve got and it still may not work.”

This is the moment. It’s where you concede by retreating for safety. Or it’s where you begin by relinquishing control.

You’re raw. You’re ready.

You’ve come to embody the stoic wisdom:

And in spite of all of that fear, you commit to action.

Committing in 2024

As you consider the mountains you intend to climb in 2024, remain aware of your mindset.

This past week, for the first time since starting this new venture three months ago, I was overrun with fear.

As I sat parked outside my son’s basketball practice Tuesday night, I tormented myself…

For not being further along.

For not having enough time to get everything done.

For stammering within this new domain, where the names have changed and mine remains unproven.

At a time when I should be celebrating the myriad challenges and fears I’ve overcome, I was focused on the unknown. On the changes ahead.

Then I took a deep breath.

I acknowledge that I was lost in fear. And I remembered the pivotal lesson I learned from Dr. Ellen Hendriksen. A lesson I want you and every founder (current or future) to internalize…

The hardest part about scaling any new mountain is the very first climb.

After that first climb, we start to see that mountain as nothing more than a molehill.

We glean our anticipated horrors as nothing more than our mind catastrophizing incidents that probably won’t happen.

And with each new climb, our confidence builds. Because you see…

And so here’s what I’m committing to in 2024:

• To rally a community of consulting & agency founders

• To listen about the problems those founders most need help solving

• To support them through content, courses, and coaching

• To refine my content via endless experiments

• To deliver real value inside this newsletter, week after week

• To start a podcast where I bring founder success stories to you ✅

• To host challenges where we learn and grow together

And most importantly, to keep going. Especially when things get hard.

Your turn

Drop a comment below with your commitments:

• What mountains are you committed to climbing this year?

• What doubts and fears come up about them?

• If everything goes well, what will be true?

👇🏼 Leave a comment. I’ll be waiting to hear from you.

👋🏼 Hello to Bulent, Shannon, Elena and 3 more founders who joined Profit Ladder this week. Welcome!

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