6 Steps to Overcome Your Fear of Success

~by Donya Zimmerman~

Do you have fear of success? If you want to realize your dreams, you cannot be cannot be afraid of succeeding at whatever you decide to do in life. You must be willing to put in the work to live an abundant life and stop doing everything you can to sabotage your own success. Entrepreneurs are famous for sabotaging their own success because they feel they can do it all. Some entrepreneurs have this notion that they can run their business without assistance from others. But successful entrepreneurs create a “dream team” of support to assist with the running of their business.

God has created His children to be examples of success for others to follow. As stated in Proverbs 22:29, “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men.” Entrepreneurs who are successful surround themselves with individuals who understand and know what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. If you want to be the “king of jungle”, you have to surround yourself with strong kings. Do not be afraid to hang with the “influencers” when it comes to having a successful life. Time to get over your “fear of success”.

Work Through Your Fear of Success

  • Confront the fear head on. God wants you to succeed (Joshua 1:9). Do you believe you deserve success? Why do you feel others deserve success more than you do? You must be willing to believe God’s Word and act on His Word when it comes to your personal success.
  • Get rid of erroneous beliefs concerning your worthiness for success. How you perceive your worthiness will determine how much success you will achieve. You must be aligned with God’s beliefs that you deserve success. God created you in His own image and He created you to live a prosperous and abundant life.

Your success as an entrepreneur is determined by what you believe in; what you believe about yourself; and how much success you feel you deserve.

Six Steps to Overcome Your “Fear of Success”

  1. Do things on time. Procrastination is the worst thing you can do. Always create a “to do list” to complete important tasks on time. You have to give yourself enough time to complete tasks that will assist you with becoming a successful entrepreneur.
  2. Ensure that your “success already in progress” is protected from actions that can harm it. And be responsible enough to follow through on all plans concerning your current success.
  3. Keep in contact and follow up with individuals who can assist you with achieving significant outcomes and success. You cannot continue to surround yourself with people who are not willing to progress with you. “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men.” (Proverbs 22:29) You must stand with individuals who will bless you and help you grow.
  4. Associate yourself with individuals who are at the level of success you would like to be. Surround yourself with goal-oriented individuals who will push you to reach your full potential.
  5. Think about how your success can help others. Think about how you can be a blessing to someone who is in need of help. Think about how you can mentor a person and give them the needed skills and knowledge to become successful in their own right.
  6. Understand that your success comes from God. God wants His children to be successful to fulfill His purpose. As long as your motive for success is to please God and do His will, you will be prosperous in all you do.

.

Success does not happen overnight, but if you put in the work, success will come. Genesis 39:3,”The Lord gave him success in everything he did.” A successful entrepreneur understands the importance of working and getting help to live an abundant and prosperous life.


Meet the Author: Donya Zimmerman

6 Steps to Overcome Your Fear of Success 1Donya Zimmerman is a business consultant, mediator, and legal professional with over ten years of experience. Donya is also a public speaker and aspiring author. 

She is owner of Family & Community Mediation and Business Consulting (FACMBC) and Powerful Biz Woman (subsidiary of FACMBC), both of which are based in Baltimore, MD.

Services provided by FACMBC: Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services; Business Registration Assistance; Business Plan Drafting Assistance; Business Certification Assistance; and Business Organization Assistance. 

If you are thinking about starting your own small business or non-profit organization, do not hesitate to contact me because I can show you how to do so.

For more information about Donya:



If this resonates, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
We host small, thoughtful Round Table conversations inside Women’s Entrepreneur Network where women leaders talk through exactly this kind of challenge.
You’re welcome to join us.

Related Posts

The Myth of “Having It All Figured Out”

The Myth of “Having It All Figured Out”

Every business owner I know is improvising more than they admit. Not the whole thing. But a meaningful portion of any given week is worked out on the spot, by someone who did not know the answer when the question arrived. The reason this feels like a personal failing...

Marketing vs. Selling: What’s the Difference?

Marketing vs. Selling: What’s the Difference?

Peter Drucker wrote in 1973 that the aim of marketing is to understand the customer so well that the product fits them and sells itself. It's the best definition there is, and it contains the trap that catches most small business owners. Marketing done perfectly makes...

Podcast Guesting: A Powerful Visibility Strategy

Podcast Guesting: A Powerful Visibility Strategy

A podcast host spends months, sometimes years, building trust with an audience. People listen to them in the car, on walks, while cooking. They feel they know them. When you appear as a guest, you borrow some of that trust for an hour. It's one of the most efficient...

Find what you need

Lead Your Team

Delegation, hiring, difficult conversations, and becoming the boss you'd want to work for.

Build the Business

Pricing, launching, systems, and building something that doesn't depend on you.

Women in Leadership

Negotiation, the pay gap, and what the research actually says about women who lead.

Get Seen

Being visible without the cringe — podcasts, content, and being remembered.

Lead Yourself

Courage, your inner critic, time, and protecting what matters most.

You're Not Alone

The loneliness of leading, and why the best owners don't solve everything alone.