Being Vulnerable in Business
Are you allowing a fear of vulnerability keep you in your comfort zone? Are you stopping yourself from posting about your business because you don’t think you’re “there” yet? Did you miss business events because you fear talking about your business? Do you try to do everything yourself because you want everyone to think you can handle it? Do you have trouble sharing your success or struggles?
If any of those sound like you, then you are most likely living with a fear of vulnerability. <<INSERT MIND-BLOWN GIF HERE>>
Don’t worry, that fear can be quickly turned into an asset if you are willing to put some effort in to understanding and changing how your mindset is operating.
As a business owner, your business is an extension of you. It’s personal and almost like your child. You created it, you take care of it, and you give everything you have to make sure it is successful. And that’s why it is so easy to let the fear of being vulnerable keep you from reaching the levels you deserve. When something is so personal to you, you want to keep it close and away from the criticisms of others. You tell yourself that everything must be perfect before you launch or before you start talking about your business with others because you are worried about what people think.
But I am here to tell you, no matter how subtle this shows up in your life and business the fear of being vulnerable will keep you trapped in a limited mindset. It can cause you to miss opportunities, stay in your comfort zone forever, not receive valuable advice, prevent you from connecting with others and miss out on the support you will receive. Sometimes getting out of your own way is all you need to do in order to start seeing dramatic breakthroughs in your business.
The 3 keys to being vulnerable are honesty, moderation, and consistency.
You must be honest with yourself to get anywhere of importance in life including in business. It is literally impossible to make lasting change if it is based on a lie and quite frankly, the faster you learn how to tell yourself the truth and implement change based on that truth, the faster you will reach new levels in your business. It can only be done by you. On my journey of entrepreneurship and discovering myself, I learned a lot of lessons but most importantly I learned that I wasn’t going to be able to have the business I wanted until I put the work into myself first. I had to get my mindset and personal life in order. I had to become the person who could sustain the kind of dreams I saw for myself. But honesty doesn’t just apply to the relationship with yourself it also applies to interacting with others. You will be able to show up as your authentic self, connect with the right business opportunities and people, talk about your business in your personal life, and actually enjoy being a business owner.
Moderation is what makes vulnerability useful. You don’t have to be vulnerable with everyone and you surely don’t have to walk around oversharing personal details with any and every one. But you do have to know how to use your new skills in a way that benefits you and makes you feel comfortable. Make sure you moderate when, where, and with whom you are choosing to open up to. Not all levels of vulnerability are created equal and it doesn’t always mean sharing personal life details. It can mean going to that networking event you know you should go to even though you feel like you still “don’t belong” yet. It can be sharing a business goal on your Facebook page. It can be reaching out for an opportunity you want and not second guessing whether or not you deserve it. Each level of being vulnerable has its time and place and once you develop some consistency with practicing it, the easier it will be for you to distinguish when and how much to give.
As an entrepreneur, consistency is one of those things I had to continuously work on before it truly became a habit. When I first started working on getting rid of my fear of being vulnerable, I would sometimes revert to my old ways but the key is to not stop trying to improve. Quitting is the only way to fail. It takes effort but when you make consistency a part of your vulnerability journey, you will notice that soon it will become effortless. Recommit on a regular basis to the goals you have, personal and business. Remind yourself why you decided to start making changes in the first place. Build your determination and with a little consistency, vulnerability will become an asset to you and your business.
The fear of being vulnerable can sneak up in your business in unsuspecting ways but once you realize that it is keeping you in your comfort zone, trapped and unable to connect with others then you have already made the first step in turning it from a fear to an asset by acknowledging the problem. All you need is some honesty, moderation, and consistency to kick some more major butt in your business and break through to new levels. You can do it!
