Do you celebrate Halloween? Did you carve pumpkins, bob for apples and dress up as a ghastly, ghostly ghoul?

I know every culture is different when it comes to Halloween, but here in my neck of the woods, trick or treating is a big part of it. We’re not quite like the Americans when it comes to scale. We don’t have whole houses and streets decorated with creepy, scary, spooky things. But we do have a few pumpkins put out and bowls full of sweets for the little ones when they come knocking. There’s always a mix of costumes, from fairies and princesses to zombies and skeletons. And there’s a mix of confidence levels too. 

Some kids go running up to the door, knocking loudly and confidently shouting “Trick or Treat!” when the door opens. Others do more of a shy shuffle, hiding behind their friends, parents or begrudging older sibling who has been forced to take them out for the evening. They whisper “Trick or Treat” while burying their face in the hem of their guardian’s coat. The bowl of treats comes out and the kids dig into it with delight – grabbing a bar or two of their favourite sweets or chocolates. 

Any guesses who gets the most candy? The best types? The biggest haul? It’s the confident ones. The ones who brazenly put themselves out there at the front of the queue, who are not afraid to ask for what they want and who confidently accept reward when it’s offered. And it is the same in business too. 

I’ve been in business for over 25 years now, and many times throughout my career have I seen business owners miss out because they were afraid to go after what they really wanted. They were afraid to go after that big customer in case they got rejected. They were afraid to negotiate their contracts because they were afraid they might lose a client. They were afraid to take that chance that could lead to massive growth because they were afraid of failure.

But do you know what the scariest thing really is? Never achieving your goals because you were too afraid to really go after them. So take the chance. Go after your dreams with the same confidence and enthusiasm as a kid on Halloween and just see how your world transforms. 

What’s the scariest thing for you?

I’d love to hear from you……