I remember listening to the podcast “How I Built This” and feeling enamored by the stories of entrepreneurs that I admire like Yvon Chouinard (owner of Patagonia), as well as experiencing deep despair.

I often heard successful entrepreneurs talk about their stories of going after their calling consistently, and I thought: “Oh, that’s for other people!”

Me? I just had a “potential” but not the guts, skills, or the persistence to create what I wanted. Plus, I was supposed to pay my bills and help my parents with their debts.

Taking risks was for “other people.”

Then I realized I wasn’t missing the skills or the guts. Mind you, I got an engineering degree and an MBA, as well as moved to the US from Turkey, not knowing a single person. But, I was driven by a few key mental blocks keeping me as an aspiring entrepreneur. These roadblocks caused me to be inconsistent, get overwhelmed, and call it quits in my previous entrepreneurial attempts.

Today, I fully identify as a badass entrepreneur coach who is set to create a remarkable impact and abundance.

As I coach other people who want to go after their dream, I see that most have similar blocks to mine:

Otherization

What I call “otherization” is a belief system that fools you to think that other people are somehow better or different. Therefore, they deserve and get wealth, success, etc. This belief system usually gets settled in your psyche early on in life and drives your actions or stagnation unless you uncover it.

There may be various reasons for otherization. As Dr. Gay Hendricks mentions in The Big Leap, the limiting beliefs that your parents and the culture you live in that are passed down to you, as well as scarring life experiences, can create a fixed view of your worth, capabilities, and needs.

For example, if your parents worked in the same job for 40 years and criticized people for taking risks, you would likely inherit their views on money and security. On the surface, you may want to live a more entrepreneurial life, but subconsciously you may be seeking conditions similar to what your parents created.

Your specific past experiences also influence your actions. Let’s say as you were speaking in front of a big crowd as a kid, you forgot your thoughts. You felt deeply embarrassed and concluded that you weren’t cut to do public speaking, whereas other kids were flawless. Although it seems to be an innocuous event, it may affect your confidence level each time you are in front of people.

Disconnection from your bliss

I don’t know about you, but no one taught me how to connect with a clear calling that feels like following my bliss. Instead, my mind was always full of shoulds/musts…When I heard the concept of “following your bliss” from Joseph Campbell in The Power of Myth, I felt like I discovered a deep unfulfilled need.

I believe your bliss is slightly different than your passion. You may often hear the advice “find your passion to be successful.” This advice makes many people feel like there is something wrong with them since they may have many interests without a focal point. I was one of those people.

In contrast, following your bliss is about listening to the inner voice that has always been there. It is about uncovering your gifts instead of forcing yourself to pinpoint them. This process is a journey for most of us. As Joseph Campbell puts it: “You are the hero of your own story.” — which includes the discovery of your calling.

“If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Wherever you are — if you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time.” — Joseph Campbell

Fear of “being seen”

This is about giving too many f**cks about what others think of you and your potential failures. This comes from tying your worth to other people’s perceptions of you as well as the judgments about failure. This was a big one for me. For a long time, I wanted to hide, even though I had so much to share.

If this sounds familiar to you, your definition of success may be too rigid and specific, as in how soon, in what fashion you think you need to be successful. If your process isn’t perfectly fitting your ideas of success, or God forbid if someone criticizes you, you may easily feel overwhelmed by the fear of failure.

Another common fear is being “found out”. You may feel like you are shooting in the dark. Your accomplishments were due to luck. You don’t know enough. You are afraid of being a fraud- hello imposter syndrome!

When I identified these mental blocks, I realized that they aren’t only valid for entrepreneurial endeavors, but how I lived my life. That soul-filling relationship– oh that was for other people who got lucky. That incredible around the world trip– oh, that was for the brave.

But, my friends, today it feels so much different. I am a digital nomad, coach, and am building a successful business that feels like following my bliss, plus I am doing it all with the love of my life. I am proof that it can be done: that person you’ve been otherizing is you!

Here are the major steps I took to clear the mental blocks:

I committed to spiritual and personal growth.

I made self-love and authentic confidence the number one priority. This means: I’ve meditated almost every day, listened to my needs and intuition, created space to process my emotions, and unearth limiting beliefs.

I called myself on my own bullshit.

I’ve identified, admitted, and worked through (it is still an everyday process) all my excuses and egoic reactions that don’t align with the person I want to become. Every day I ask the question: “How does my future awesome self show up? Am I being her today?”

I invested in me.

I hired a badass coach and an intuitive healer even though I have zero income because I believe in myself now. I examined the people I admire. I saw that they get help, spend money on their business and person, operate with an abundance mindset instead of fear. So, I stepped up and now I act like I am one of them.

I focused on value and inspired action.

Instead of being suffocated by a long list of items I believed I needed to do, I’ve concentrated on identifying the value-packed outcome as well as the top actions leading to that outcome. This has helped me take actions that I was excited and curious about, instead of being obligated to.

Whether you get out there and create something amazing first depends on how you feel about and think of yourself. That’s why clearing your mental blocks is the smartest investment you can make to leap from being a “wannabe entrepreneur” to achieving your dreams consistently.

Don’t forget that almost all successful entrepreneurs go through their own battles to get to where they are. Your journey starts here.

https://cofounderstown.com/user/gizemcetgin