You don’t need anyone else’s approval, validation, or permission to run your dream business. I know with things like social media and ChatGPT, it can be difficult to fully rely on yourself for your own decision-making. All of these tools can make us lose confidence and faith in ourselves. But you need confidence if you’re going to own a business. You need to be able to trust and believe in yourself.

That’s why I wanted to write this article — to give all my entrepreneurs the freedom to give themselves the approval and permission they’ve been waiting for.

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Signs You Are Asking For Permission To Run Your Dream Business

I know it can be difficult to tell whether you’re still waiting on permission from others, so here are some ways to diagnose yourself. If a lot of these feel true for you, that’s a strong sign you may still be stuck waiting on others’ approval to run the dream business that would give you freedom in your life.

• You don’t act immediately on any decision because you feel unprepared
• ChatGPT is your therapist (I’m guilty of this too)
• Whenever you have an idea in your head, you go to the external and look for signs that your idea will work
• You believe that other people’s opinions are more valid than your own
• Have trouble sharing what you believe in because you think you’re not good or smart enough
• Are scared of what people will think if you start a certain business
• Afraid of looking stupid when you start that dream business idea
• You put your family’s opinions and thoughts of what you should do in front of what your intuition is telling you to do
• Feel constant doubt or fear over your business idea
• Often spiral over potential, made-up failure
• Feel like you should resort to “safer” career paths such as a 9–5 due to fear
• Feel like your business will fail when you see that others are failing
• Need to see someone do something first before you can do it
• Have trouble making decisions

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Book Recommendations:

Trust Yourself – M.J. Ryan

Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill

The Magic of Thinking Big – David J. Schwartz

You Only Live Once: The Roadmap to Financial Wellness and a Purposeful Life – Jason Vitug

Journal Prompts For Giving Yourself Permission To Run Your Dream Business

• What triggers me to start doubting myself?
• In what ways do I seek external validation, and how does it make me feel?
• What evidence do I have that contradicts my self-doubt?
• How can I validate myself and my dreams?

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How To Give Yourself Permission To Run Your Dream Business

Stop Talking To ChatGPT

I know we all want someone to talk to, and sometimes life makes that hard. Now with ChatGPT, we literally have something we can talk to every day, at any time. We ask any question, and it gives us an answer — often intelligent and personal ones that keep us coming back.

But this isn’t always good for us. The more we rely on ChatGPT, the less fulfillment we get from real human conversations, and the less confidence we build in ourselves. Stop running every idea by ChatGPT. Instead, follow your intuition and have faith that it’s guiding you to the right place.

I know this is easier said than done. It takes practice. But over time, you’ll see your need for external validation fade. You’ll start to feel rooted in your own decision-making and less doubtful.

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Start Talking To God

Don’t talk to ChatGPT, talk to God instead. I’m not here to force religion on you. I just want you to remember that there is a powerful source that wants you to succeed and win. God doesn’t want you to struggle.

Once you feel rooted in that belief, that you’re supported, your need for permission starts to shrink.

Whenever you feel the urge to run to social media, ChatGPT, or another person for approval, try talking to God instead. You may still feel the urge at first, but over time, with practice, those impulses will quiet down.

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Don’t Look At Data When You’re Building A New Product

Not looking at statistics before creating a new idea might sound counterintuitive, but trust me on this. Unless your idea is outdated or unnecessary, you don’t always need data before you begin.

You have that idea for a reason. There are billions of people on this planet, I’m sure at least a small percentage would be interested in your offering. Don’t underestimate yourself. Trust your intuition, even if the external world doesn’t immediately support your vision.

This is especially true if your product comes from your own experience. If you’ve experienced something, others have too. They’re just waiting for the brave entrepreneur who’s willing to push past fear and release the solution.

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Don’t Go On Social Media For A Few Days

I will never stop talking about how social media chips away at our confidence. On social media, you hear everyone else’s opinions and watch their lives unfold. It becomes hard to separate your path from a random influencer’s.

You start looking at social media to decide what you should do, where you should go, what clothes to buy, or what business model is “best.”

All of this pulls you deeper into the cycle of seeking approval.

Imagine how secure you would feel in yourself if social media didn’t exist. That’s why I suggest taking a few days off from it. It might sound boring, but honestly, time away from social media is peaceful.

If you need it for business, limit yourself to 30 minutes a day. Do your promotion first thing in the morning, then log off. No doom-scrolling allowed.

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List Out Your Dream Business Idea — Then Why It’ll Work

Your intuition already has the answers. You know the answer deep down. The next time you look for outside validation, notice that small inner bias — that quiet voice that already knows.

Write down your dream business idea in detail. Then write down why it will work.

Don’t Google anything. Just list what comes naturally. This exercise reminds you that you don’t need outside validation. You just need yourself.

I do this whenever I feel doubtful, and every time it makes me feel like my heart is opening back up to possibility.

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Whenever You Feel Insecure, Doubtful, or Scared — Close Your Eyes And Breathe

When we feel doubt or fear, it’s usually because of the external world. The goal is to block out that noise and come back home to yourself.

Take five minutes. Come back to the present moment. Don’t run to something outside yourself for comfort. You can’t find the solution in the same place the problem lives.

During weak moments, we run outward. Instead, give yourself permission to feel steady again from within.

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Conclusion

You can give yourself permission. It’s like a muscle. The more you practice validating yourself and trusting your vision, the stronger you get at it.

Be gentle with yourself as you learn to trust yourself more deeply. We often neglect ourselves — we don’t listen, we don’t trust, we don’t honor what we already know inside.

I want to change that. And I hope this helped someone today.

Thank you for reading, and come back soon!
xoxo