African Youthprenuership: A tag of war part 3

We've talked about social & financial nemeses but the greatest foe in most cases can be very close to you, rather in you to be specific and fear being it, and also the captain of the opposing team.

It's said that the graveyard is the richest place but I believe the loitering living have got better ideas as a result of modernity & relativity, don't you think? For example a person who died in 2019 with a splendid idea is said to excellent among the resting gods, but the idea was not going to work properly in the last two years; because we've witnessed a turnover in how businesses are run as a result of Covid-19 and it's close kinsmen: The infamous Lockdowns.

Ideas change with times, the adjustments are reactions to market performance... hence I say the living are richer but in deep fear of joining the team and pulling the rope unto their side.

Most youngster have amazing ideas that need little or no polishing but neophobia is the greatest hurdle. Neophobia is the fear of starting something new and in our talk is to start a new business - but what causes the fear? Can one get rid of it or overcome it? When the worst happens as per fear-predicted, how do we handle it?

It's the same fear that we're talking about that made billions of people to shut the grave doors behind them with their ideas enclosed in their skulls. It bears an endless procastinative habit which graduates to become a behavior affecting a whole lot of related & non related aspects of life, since it will be a behavior. We tend to be scared of things that we haven't tried, things that we don't know, how funny? What will we be scared of?

It's atychiphobia, intense fear of failure. Failure which gives birth to shame, because we live in a society where failure is not really acceptable, where people are supposed to supported, comforted and encouraged but are rewarded with ridicules, it's very sad.

We fear shame thence I'm always of the thinking that to avoid such, one ought to start small and in either silence or secrecy. When a small project fails it doesn't hurt much and even those with saliva lubricated tongues & long bickering mouths that spit negativity and cheer failure won't have much penniless business to do!

He who accepts defeat has room to practice more and chances to win future matches: he who accepts the presence of fear in his life has done half the job of fighting it. After acceptance, then the game plan to pull the rope with weights on the other end is drawn, with the hope & faith of winning. An aspirant entrepreneur has to set goals & fighting the fear is supposed to be part of the list.

After goals are set, one has to focus on what he/she can control and how to handles those situations he/she cannot. Within the controllable spheres, it's quite essential to be innovative in planning & doing too. A new player in the game has to bring freshness & a new lacking skill, to that the spectating crowd can be rowdy!

Ambition is the backbone of every hardworking man, but being over ambitious always bears not so good results. Young people need to learn to manage their expectations and be realistic. Ridiculous expectations don't always fail to bear fruits but in most cases they do and it kills the spirit of entrepreneurship and add more doses of neophobia.

Failure when bound to be is inevitable but if it happens that you've failed, what will you do? Don't take yourself too seriously, sit back, relax and laugh at yourself and your stupidity that led to such a hiccup, while bracing yourself for a newer challenge with renewed zeal and knowledge of an experienced person.

The African team needs you to balance the weights in their team, you're the awaited champion, hop off the terraces, rope under the elbow & be a player too, champ!

Poseidon Tsautsau is a Zimbabwean-based entrepreneur.