Today I want to talk about the fear of losing control. As entrepreneurs or career professionals, sometimes we fear losing control of our businesses due to external factors or unforseen circumstances.
I am a successful entrepreneur of over 21 years who built her business from scratch. I pay close attention to detail and used to want to control every aspect of my company. But when the pandemic hit, it was a shock to my structured system. A lot of things were disrupted, employees were working remotely, and sales wasnt as it should be. I felt like I was losing control of the businesses.
One day, after a conversation with a mentor and me doing a self-audit, I realised that my need for control was not only stressing me out but also stifling the company’s growth. I wasnt focusing on strategies to navigate the new season instead was thinking of all the things that can go wrong. Slowly, I began to let go of the fear, reminding myself that things can only get better. I also started empowering my team to make decisions and embrace the uncertainty of the situation.
My saving tip was to practice what I call “Control Alt Delete”. I still use this tip.
Control: I acknowledge my need for control and how it’s impacting my business. Awareness is key.
Alt: I explored alternative solutions and perspectives. Very important as I then accepted I don’t know it all.
Delete: I Let go of the need for control and embrace the unknown.
By doing these, I regained my confidence and my business began to thrive in the new normal. In fact, after adhering to these tips, I realised that as media we sat on a goldmine. People were stuck at home and the next thing to turn to would be the media. So we focused on generating great content on our website www.exquisitemag.com for our readers to enjoy.
So I say to you today, control is an illusion, but trust, flexibility, and resilience are the keys to true success. So let go of fear and yes, trust the unknown. Mind you fear is believing an “unknown” too. Might as well choose to trust.
I wish you the results you desire.
I am Dr Tewa Onasanya and I am living the words I speak.
