What if I Fail?

I have days that I’m scared to make a decision.

Which two “things” should I spend my money on?  What email marketing system should I buy into?  What’s the best database system for me?  Should I go to Italy or Florida on vacation?  Or keep the money and save for my retirement?   What if I fail at my latest project?  What if she says NO!

I am honored that mortgage girlfriends ask me questions like this on a regular basis.  Sometimes I reply “What are you afraid of?”  More often I say “what’s the worst that can happen if you make a decision (that you’ve agonizing over)?”  The answer that I most often get is, “yeah, I know, I’m just freaking out here!”

Well, you are allowed to freak out.  You are allowed to be afraid.  There is no way to predict the future—but you can control it a little bit more by asking yourself a couple of questions—which, by the way,  only you can answer.

So, let’s take the example of “What if I fail at setting up a system to offer an employee benefits program to local employers?”

1. Do you have the money to spend?
2. Do you have the time to devote to the project?
3. Do you know people who own businesses?
4. Do you have a way to follow up with them on a regular basis?
5. What’s your goal for the number of companies you want to enroll?
6. How many loans per month do you think you will get from this marketing strategy?
7. What do I have to do to maintain the business?
8. Who will help me?
9. What if I fail?

If you fail, what’s the worst that could happen?  You learned something.  You spent some money. You don’t have to waste your time anymore.  You didn’t lose any business because you never had it in the first place.  While others may judge you, you’re the only one who can judge yourself—because you know whether you really gave it the good old college try—or not.

Instead of asking yourself “What if I fail?”, the harder question is:  “What if I succeed?”