So, you've begun a home-based business. Perhaps you're a writer, or selling your own arts and crafts. However, you frequently find yourself putting tasks off, or not making time for clients, as you should. You wonder why you can't simply "get it together" - why you aren't as successful as you'd like to be. Have you considered the possibility that you may actually fear your own success?

Fear of success is an issue that many small business owners struggle with as they launch into self-employment. After all - you have the potential to be as big (or as small) as you dare to be! That is a scary prospect for many people, who have spent their whole lives working for eight hours a day, taking home a steady paycheck, and struggling to make ends meet. It's hard to imagine bringing home more than enough money, or being able to have luxuries - especially for doing something that you truly love to do. This leads to problems for many home business owners.

Fear of success can manifest itself in many ways - all of which are dangerous to the success of your business. You can suddenly become distracted - finding it difficult to focus on the task at hand. You may find yourself disorganized - losing client's phone numbers, misplacing important information, or failing to meet deadlines. Or, you may simply begin to experience stress, fear, and dread about the future of your business. If you are having these issues around your business, stop and look inside yourself. Is it fear of failure that you're truly afraid of? Or is it fear of success?

Stop and ask yourself what about success is really so scary. Are you afraid that there is greatness inside of you that you just might unlock? Are you afraid that your friend and family will look at you differently if you are a successful entrepreneur? Are you worried about how bringing home an income may affect the dynamics within your marriage? All of these issues can be addressed, and should be, before they cause your business to fail. Take the time to journal on the subject, and really think about what specific issues are causing you stress. Then you can begin to work towards overcoming them.

On a daily basis, begin to work towards managing your fear of success. Begin to frequent forums for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Post motivational quotes near your work area. Begin to dream big, even though it may be scary at first. Set high goals, and when you achieve those, aim even higher. You are truly in charge of your own success. No one can stop you except yourself, and you've done enough of that already! It's time to stop holding yourself back. Take small steps toward your goals, and eventually you'll look back in amazement at how far you've come in such a short amount of time. Allow yourself to be successful - you deserve it as much as anyone else does! Begin working towards your goals today, and you may discover that they aren't as intimidating as they once seemed.