Checklist: Get mentally prepared for your course launch

There is a lot of hard work and effort that goes into creating a new course. It can seem nerve wracking to officially launch your offer and remain confident once your work is out there to purchase. Although it’s normal to experience this, there are ways to overcome it and to feel mentally prepared for your course launch. Whether it’s the first launch or the fiftieth.

Launching a course means putting yourself out there in a big way. It also means being highly visible. You’re likely using various social media platforms, your email list, and word of mouth to attract students. This can bring up intimidating thoughts of what people might say or think. (Remember: The fact that you’ve even created a course deserves acknowledgement. Give yourself credit for being dedicated and getting to launch mode.)

Ultimately, paying attention to your mindset during your launch phase is imperative. Here are some tips on how to cultivate a virtually unshakeable headspace when it comes to launching your course.

Consider this your checklist to get mentally prepared for launch day and every day after.

A matter of vocabulary

The word “failure” is very charged in itself. According to research, failure and self-worth are tied together. That means that if you perceive failure, your brain is likely to start making up stories like: A few people bought your course, so it wasn’t good enough or interesting enough for someone to spend money on it. Implicitly implying that you aren’t good enough—which is simply not true.

Your subconscious wants to avoid the potential risk of failure. It will flood you with doubt and fear about putting yourself out there. One way to address this is by replacing the word “failure.” For example: A launch didn’t fail, but maybe it fell short of a certain goal while still meeting another. Be aware of your thinking around this. Take note if your brain is jumping to the narrative that your launch or course (or you) must be inherently flawed.

Affirmations are especially useful for this and improving mental health for entrepreneurs. Repeating these statements can help boost your self confidence by retraining your brain on how to view a course launch or major business moment. Some effective ones are: “I deserve success”, “I take calculated risks without fear”, and “I am worthy no matter what number of followers I have or number of people who purchase my course.”

Dive into your fear

Diving in can feel uncomfortable, but it’s an effective way of calming your brain. That’s because when your mind holds a fear, (like the fear that no one will buy your course, for example) and then faces that fear, it realizes the perceived threat isn’t actually dangerous—or even true.

You can do this through visualization, journaling, or talking with a friend or loved one. Sit with the questions of fear and doubt in your mind. Pay attention to where in your body you notice sensations (a pit in your stomach or lump in your throat) and what emotions they bring up. By going there, you’re exposing your brain to the fear and ultimately lessening it.

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A place of possibility

Frequently, “what if” questions end with worst case scenario hypotheticals. It’s normal if your mind is pondering these questions—pay attention to that. Each time you notice a train of thought that’s headed off a cliff, stop and counter it with a “what if” that ends with best case scenarios: What if my presale goes well? What if it’s wildly successful and makes a huge impact on my students and brings great financial abundance?

Remember the best-case is just as possible, if not more possible, than the worst-case one.

It’s not personal

Ask yourself why you created this course in the first place. Likely you have such a passion for what you’re teaching that you want to share it with others. Whether that helps them improve their quality of life, accelerate their business growth, better their health, or take up a new hobby— you’re helping your students and clients.

How many people could you positively impact with your course? Choose to have that as the main focus of your course launch, not necessarily the numbers or the “what if’s.”

Comments are welcome here

Instead of fearing negative feedback or letting critiques slow you down, view them as signs that you’ve made it. This type of feedback means that what you’ve created was thought-provoking enough for someone to voice their opinion on it. Decide if fear of judgement is enough to stop you from launching your course and all the potential good that will bring to yourself and others.

And in some cases, you may realize that the feedback is an opportunity to improve and make your work even better. Evaluate if the feedback is truly helpful and can be implemented to enhance your course layout, coaching delivery, or onboarding process. You may soon find that you can use these comments to your advantage.

Success isn’t scored

A final point to keep in mind is that no one is keeping score. No matter how your launch turns out, no one is paying as much attention as you are. Embrace the discomfort of this thought and know that through being uncomfortable, through pushing your boundaries, you are growing and expanding both yourself and your business.

You felt fear and went through with it anyway, and that in itself is a massive accomplishment. No matter what goals you set for your course launch—and if you meet them in a day or a year—it doesn’t change the fact that you took the leap and got agile in the process.

Know that this process is already a win before you even open the doors on your launch. And with just a few mental tricks and course launch tips, you can tackle anything head-on.

What mental tricks have you tried during your course creation process?