In the post Chris talks about the negative effects that fear and lack of confidence can have. They can literally keep you from doing what you need to do to succeed.
Moms and Risk-Taking
As mothers, I think WAHMs are particularly vulnerable to fears. Giving up a secure paycheck with benefits can be a hard thing to do when you have children. In the back of your mind the question is always there: will I earn enough to take care of the family?
In fact, being a mother can lead to a double-whammy of guilt. You feel guilty if you leave a good, secure job with income and benefits that your family might need OR you feel guilty if you work outside the home and give up time with your family. The decision can feel like a lose-lose situation.
Fear and Uncertainty
My own experience is a perfect example of this principle of fear and lack of confidence at work. I can remember people commenting several years before I actually started my business how they thought that I was ideally suited for freelancing in terms of my abilities and skills as well as the fact that I have a husband with good job benefits. Even with that type of feedback, I still hesitated to step out on my own.
Fear of being scammed is a big example of one type of fear that can really hinder a mom from striking out on her own. Let's face it, there are a lot of work-at-home scams out there - so scams are a legitimate concern. However, with good research and proper caution it's possible to avoid or minimize your chances of being taken in by a scammer.
Many moms may believe that they can't possibly earn enough from home to make a difference in the family budget. Shortly after I started my own business I remember a visit with a family friend one Christmas. Somehow the topic of earning came up and she asked how much I was making with my home business. I'm pretty sure that she expected me to say that it was a few hundred dollars instead of a figure in the thousands. Her eyes got really wide when she realized that I had earned more that year from my part-time work-at-home job than she had from her full-time minimum wage job.
Five Steps towards your Work-At-Home Dream
So, how can you break out of the cycle of fear and uncertainty and take a step towards your dreams? Here are just a few tips:
- Start working from home while you have the security of a full-time paycheck. This is a risk-free step that anyone can take. You don't have to leave your secure job until your freelance business is doing well.
- Remember that choices can be changed. Leaving the corporate world can feel like an irrevocable decision, but it isn't. You can always return if things don't work it. It's not unheard of for resumes these days to include freelance or contract work.
- Start a savings account. Working from home can feel a lot more secure if you have cushion to fall back on when things get slow. Actually, having an emergency fund is a good idea whether you work from home, or not.
- Surround yourself with success stories. The Internet and magazines are filled with stories of women who successfully started their own business. (We even have our own series of interviews here at Work From Home Momma.
- Network with other work-at-home moms. You can do this online, or in your local area. However you do it, sharing work-at-home successes and failures with others in the same situation can be a great encouragement.
Choose Your Future
So, the key is not to let fear and lack confidence keep you from achieving something that you really want to do. You can take steps today towards your goal of working from home.
What about you? Do you have (or have you had) fears about working from home? If so, I'd love to hear them.
Leave us a comment and let us know.
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» Do You Have Enough Confidence to Work from Home? from
Do you dream of working at home, but are afraid of what might happen if you actually tried? Do you wonder if most work-at-home jobs are scams? If these are your questions this post on dealing with your fears so that you can achieve your dream might be ... [Read More]
Tracked on: October 24, 2007 10:15 AM | Permalink to Trackback