As an entrepreneur, you want to succeed. After all, success is the goal, right? By that standard, you may think that the thing you want to avoid most is failure, but that may not necessarily be true. In fact, many entrepreneurs find that their failures actually make them better because they learn from them. It is possible that the thing you should fear the most is not failing, but something else entirely — regret. While you can always learn from things you’ve done that did not go well, you can’t go back in time and take opportunities you passed over. Regrets can be haunting.
One of the most difficult aspects of owning and operating a business is knowing when you are making the right decision. Overanalyzing everything can be paralyzing, and sometimes, you have to jump in and hope for the best. While you may wish you could take back a few decisions you’ve made along the way, chances are likely that you have more regrets over what you did not do. When you look back over your career and what you have accomplished so far, you don’t want to be left wondering about what would have happened if you hadn’t missed out on some of the important opportunities and big things in both your personal and professional life.
Regrets can be more pain than any professional failures you may have had. As a results-oriented, success-driven entrepreneur, hard work and discipline are probably second nature to you, but along the way, it’s important to be sure you won’t look back with sadness or longing over what you missed. This can include things like working too much and missing out on family life, not adapting to change, or failing to admit when you’re wrong. Of course, this will depend on you, your goals and other factors unique to your situation. Ultimately, your goal should be to live and work without regrets, not avoid failure at all costs.
The most successful people aren’t afraid to fail, but they are afraid on missing out on chances and opportunities. You do not have to fear what will happen if you don’t succeed, instead, be afraid of what will happen if you never take your shot and chase your best life.
By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC