According to Psychology Today, “Fear is one of the most powerful forces in your life. It affects the decisions you make, the actions you take, and the outcomes you achieve. Who you are and what you do has at one point or another been influenced by fear. Being successful relies to a large extent on knowing how to leverage fear.”
Constance Carter is an entrepreneur, author, speaker and CEO of Catalyst Real Estate Professionals who knows first and foremost about fear and how to recognize it, and how to overcome it. We recently caught up with Constance to walk us through five (5) steps of facing your fears.
Constance Carter, CEO | www.ConstanceCarter.com
Step F: YOU WILL FAIL
Failure is imminent on the road to success. The business idea may not pan out the first time around. The first time you ask for the promotion, you may be told no. Plans fall through and dreams take detours. You may fall flat on your pretty face and that’s okay.
Failing is inevitable and essential to your growth. Like a basic training preparing you for war, failing is just a part of your process. So don’t run from it. Run to it. And always remember—it’s not how you fall. It’s how you get back up.
STEP E: YOU WILL BE EMBARRASSED
If you ain’t willing to be embarrassed, you ain’t ready for success. Believe me, you will look stupid along the way. There will be people snickering and laughing at you behind your back (and maybe to your face). They will talk about you. Your job is not to listen. When I got my real estate license, I was pumped. I didn’t have the best clothes or a fancy car like some of my peers in the industry, but I was hungry. I wanted success so bad I could taste it, and I wasn’t willing to allow embarrassment, shame, or anything else stand between me and it. I knew if I stayed the course, this wouldn’t always be my reality.
I had a raggedy Ford Winstar and the back door would fly open whenever I turned the corner. I drove my clients around in that van like it was a brand new Mercedes sedan. I still served them and they hung right in there with me. Some of them, like The Curry’s, would even hold the back door of the car for me. We were in it together.
You will look foolish and outlandish, at times. That’s okay. Your opinion, your belief in you, is all that matters.
Step A: YOU HAVE TO PUT ALL OF YOUR CARDS ON THE TABLE
You have to be all in. Bet on yourself. Work your dream as if it’s the only option in the world and nothing else matters.
No—you can’t go and get a part-time job if it doesn’t work.
No—you can’t phone a friend to bail you out.
No—there is no Plan B and no escape route.
You’re in it. Stay in it.
Step R: YOU MUST TAKE RISKS
Remember that image of me running across the freeway with a baby strapped to my back to my get to my dreams? Let that be you too. Where there is risk, there is no regret. You can’t live a life full of “What Ifs” or “Should Haves.” When it is all said and done, you want to be able to say you tried—you did it—even if you failed.
I’ve made thousands of dollars taking risks and I’ve also lost thousands. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes and I accept that I will make a few more. But those losses and mistakes were worth it because I bet on me. I can look back on my life and say, “I went for it and here’s what happened.” When I cross the freeway, I am thinking about all of the obstacles I had to face growing up. I am thinking about the people who underestimated me. I am thinking about my husband, my kids, and their exposure to new things along with their futures. If I am too afraid to cross the street, where does that leave them? Think about who’ll be standing still with you before you decide to not move.
Step S: THERE WILL BE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
Successful people may not sleep regularly and they definitely don’t keep normal business hours. I’ve traded stories with entrepreneurs from all over the world, and I can tell you that sleep is often sacrificed for success. If successful people are not thinking, planning, strategizing, or implementing, they are not moving. They are not growing.
As my business grew, I had nights when I had to stay up after my husband and kids were in bed to study, develop strategic plans, take online classes and workshops, and create infrastructures. Were there times when my pillow called? Absolutely.
But my dreams yelled louder. Yours are calling you too.
Answer the call.
About Constance:
After obtaining her real estate license in 2002, followed by her broker's license in 2006, Constance lent her brilliance as a sales leader to several notable agencies. Quickly ascending to seven-figure producer status, her transaction portfolio boasts an estimated $200 million and at first competed with, and then crushed, that of her peers. During that time, Constance did what every visionary does—dreamed a bigger dream for herself and the industry at large. She set her sights on establishing her own real estate brokerage firm and a business that authentically reflected her core values of holistic service and success. She envisioned a company that was not just in the community, but of the community—one that helped, educated and transformed.
About Catalyst:
The Professionals of Catalyst Real Estate are 'Agents That Cause Significant Change'. Catalyst is a premier full service real estate company with top-tiered agents whose marketing expertise and personal service is unmatched. With over 34 agents, brokers, and staff, we are intentional to build slowly but steady with integrity, sincerity and still prefer quality over quantity. “We have an excellent group of agents who understand the culture and share the same core values about their business,” says Carter
Catalyst offers monthly workshops on credit, investment, and homeownership. The real estate school is Tuesdays & Thursdays from 6-9PST. We teach and train California real estate principals.