I’ll let you in on a secret. I feel fear at least once a week! Why? Because I tend to envision every possible thing that can go wrong in any situation. The thing is, I’ve learned to not let fear stop me from doing something that will make my life better.
Becoming a mother was terrifying but I’m doing it and I can’t imagine life any other way. Being a parent of a teen is 
scary too, but it’s just another “new” phase I need to adapt to as a mom.
To be honest with you, though, my biggest fear has always been that I would waste my life doing the wrong things, only realizing it when it was too late and knowing I couldn’t live those years over again.
I talk to many new home stagers or people wanting to get into the home staging business and almost every single one of them eventually mentions how their own fears keep getting in their way.
Depending on where they are in their business, these fears are usually “what if I get so busy I have no time with my kids?”, or “what if I don’t get paid?” or “what if my client’s house doesn’t sell?”
It’s normal for fears to arise when you start a new staging project, or when you think about stepping out of your comfort zone to start your own home staging business.
The trick I’ve found after 20 years in my own business, is to not let these fears keep you in such a problem- or complaint-focused mindset that they stop you from taking action.
Here’s an exercise that helps me. I hope it helps you too.
This exercise will help give you some perspective and keep you focused on solutions rather than problems. A solution-based mindset is one of the most helpful things you can have to move forward with courage despite your fears.
Set up a new document on your computer with three columns, or turn a piece of paper sideways and divide it, making these headings across the top:
- My biggest fears
- The worst thing that can happen if these fears are realized
- Possible solutions; places where I can go for help
Now fill it out with every wild “what if” fear that is buzzing around your brain and keeping you up at night.
Really, write down every crazy thing even if part of you thinks it’s dumb, or worse, too scary to mention.
I promise your fears will lose some power over you as soon as you write them down.
For example if your fear is “what if I get so busy I have no time with my kids” the worst thing that can happen is you will miss out on being the parent you want to be, or you won’t be there when your family needs you.
Possible solutions might include:
- Not taking any client appointments on evenings or weekends. This is totally possible and how I grew my own staging business!
- Only taking one client per day starting right after school drop off in the morning so you can always be finished before the after school pick up. I did this too and two days a week I arranged for my child to go to a friend’s after school, giving her a play date and me a few extra hours.
- Ask yourself what benefits your kids will get from you having your own staging business. For example, they’ll see you making money doing what you love (talk about a solid life lesson!) and you’ll be happier because you’re doing something that uses your talents and gets you out of the house part of the time.
If your fear is “what if I don’t get paid” the worst thing that can happen is you’ll be out your own money for shopping or rentals, or some of your time.
Possible solutions might include:
- Following the billing process and advice outlined in courses 2 and 3 of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program so this never happens to you.
If your fear is what will happen if your client’s home doesn’t sell, read this free article, “What if a Home You Stage Doesn’t Sell?”
I hope this exercise, taken from the Staging Diva Training Workbook, helps you realize that in the grand scheme of things, the “worst thing that could happen” probably isn’t all that bad after all.
By the way, you can get this workbook for only $75 during the Mother’s Day Madness Sale which ends today, May 14, at 5pm EST!
Related posts:
- Can you grow a home staging business in this economy?
- Using a website template for your home staging business
- Plant the seeds and tend the fields for business growth
- Weekend Home Staging Portfolio Project
- What does your logo say about your home staging business?
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