Are you afraid of being successful? I know you may not think you are, but I see it all the time–especially with women who are growing their businesses. What if the fear of getting X amount of Instagram followers, hitting that million-dollar mark, or whatever your next step, is holding you back from success? It’s time to let go of those fears and excuses and create the life you’re dreaming of. Let’s dive into the #1 thing blocking your growth.

 

 

I had one of my Grow the Gram students just make a million dollars recently and she told me she still didn’t feel successful. Why is that? It came down to the misconception that if she became this person who has this many followers or makes this much money, what does that say about her? 

I used to feel the same way about my Instagram following. I was afraid that if I grew (& at the time I had no idea I was afraid) and got hundreds of thousands of new followers then I was going to be a different person. People would look at me differently and have thoughts about me I didn’t want them to have–or so I thought.

Do you have similar thoughts about your business journey? What thoughts hold you back from succeeding? Maybe you have thoughts that you aren’t even aware of and you’re stuck wondering why you can’t grow on Instagram, make more money, etc. No more, sister. Let’s figure this out together.

 

 

Common Fears that Keep Us from Growing

1. Will I change if I become this person?
2. What will I have to do to get there?
3. What will I have to give up?
4. Who won’t be there growing with me?
5. If I become a successful business owner, will I still be a good mom?

Take time to think about the answers to these questions to help you identify the fears holding you back. Try to think about what identity you are attaching to meeting those goals of growth–the good and the bad. Do you think once you make a ton of money you will become entitled? Are you afraid that you’ll lose your creativity? Think about it and identify what your core fear is that is blocking you from success. 

Doing this exercise will help you finally stop playing tug-of-war with yourself. You’ll no longer be pushing and pulling against your two desires, but instead, learn how to let both sides coincide with one another. You’ll get that success that you’re working so hard for AND you’ll feel good about who you are once you get there. And if you don’t, then you’re willing to do the work to become the person that you are happy and at peace with. 

 

 

Beware of the Spiral

If you have had a specific thought come to mind on a way for you to grow but you’re avoiding it, you may be afraid to succeed. For example, I knew I needed to niche down to only talking about Instagram to grow my account, but I didn’t do it for so long. I thought, who am I to educate people on the best ways to use Instagram? I was one of the first people to create a tutorial on reels when they first came out. Imagine how far I’d be if I would’ve committed to only talking about Instagram then instead of years later. 

We all have triggering events that cause us to spiral and self-sabotage. Maybe you forgot it was your daughter’s turn for snacks at softball. (Not speaking from experience ;)) And you had to go buy donuts last minute instead of bringing cute little snack bags. Now your daughter will always remember that you were too busy with your business and forgot what she needed. And your house is a mess and you’re not being a good enough mom because you’re too focused on your business. You think you should just quit since you can’t do both. 

Woah. See the spiral? Let’s slow down. We need to recognize when we have those triggering events and remind ourselves that it’s OK that it happened, and it doesn’t mean we need to quit, that we’re bad moms, bad business owners, or whatever the case may be. It’s simply something that happened and we can move on with full belief in ourselves and our abilities to be who we want to be.  

 

 

4 Steps on How to Overcome Your Fear to Succeed

It’s time to stop letting your fears and insecurities keep you from committing. You don’t need to wait until your product is “perfect” before you launch it. If you’ve put in the work to create something and it’s ready to go, take the leap and share it with others. Don’t wait until the right time to launch your course, create more reels, start that podcast, etc. Life is not going to slow down, so stop making excuses and go for it. Here are 4 steps to help you get started.

 

Step 1: Write down your goals.

Think about what you actually want. In your family, personal, professional, physical, and spiritual areas of your life. Now, think about what emotions are attached to each of those desires. Are you confident? Excited? You probably have positive emotions that are rising as you think about those goals. 

 

Step 2: Write down the actions to meet those goals.

Next, think about what action you need to take to make those goals happen. Maybe it’s hiring a personal assistant, scheduling things out, launching that course, or posting reels on Instagram more often. These are just options, so don’t feel like you need to do several different things all at once. Pick at least 1-2 things you can implement to help you reach your goals and feel good about maintaining.

 

Step 3: Imagine the positive changes that will come.

Now that you’ve thought about your goals and the actions you will take to get there, think about what you will start hearing when you start showing up that way. You might have followers tell you thanks for sharing, that you’re their favorite follow, or people love your product. Whatever fits your scenario, imagine what positive feedback you’ll hear once you show up as the person you want to be. 

 

Step 4: Write about your vision every day.

Now you’ve created this vision of what you want your life to look like. I want you to take five minutes every morning and write your vision. This will help you stay on track and keep you focused, especially when those spirals try to pop up. When you notice your thoughts spiraling, take a breath and look for the moment that triggered you. Ask yourself, what am I making this mean about me? And then you can catch the lie and change it to the truth that serves you.

 

 

The #1 Thing Blocking Your Growth

It’s time to let go of the #1 thing blocking your growth. You are an incredible creator, business owner, and person. Whatever the titles in your life, you can and will honor those to the best of your ability. You’ve got this, so don’t let those bad days or spiraling thoughts let you think otherwise. Plus, you do not have to do this business alone. Come find me on Instagram @iammichellegifford.

I’d also love to keep in touch, so join my Insta Social Society HERE! If you’re ready to grow your Instagram like you’ve never grown before, but lack the time or professional skill to make it happen, you can hire my team HERE. I hope to chat with you soon!