How to overcome Self-doubt
Have you been thinking about starting something new in your personal or professional life but you let self-doubt stop you? You are not alone. Recently, I shared some of my self-doubts with someone close to me. She said: "Isn’t life funny, self-doubt isn’t something I will associate with you. You are one of the most assertive and confident people I know.” Even when you might not see it clearly in someone around you, we are all plagued by self-doubt at different phases in our lives. Self-doubt almost stopped me from starting this blog. I'm glad I overcame self-doubt and embarked on this great journey.
Self-doubt is part of life. However, you can equip yourself with techniques to overcome it. In this blog post, we will explore some definitions, signs of self-doubt, reasons why we need to overcome self-doubt and effective ways to overcome your self-doubt.
What is self-doubt?
Let's look at some dictionary definitions of self-doubt.
Self-doubt is a lack of confidence in yourself and your abilities. (Source: dictionary.com)
lack of confidence or faith in oneself. (Source: dictionary.com)
a feeling of having no confidence in your abilities and decisions (Source: Cambridge Dictionary)
How are you displaying self-doubt?
Some ways self-doubt shows up include:
Talking and thinking negatively about your skills and abilities.
Being more comfortable talking about your weaknesses rather than your strengths.
Inability to accept a compliment directed towards you or recognition for something you did.
Believing that you don't have much to offer.
Convincing yourself that it is safer not to do something new or take the next step.
Why do you need to overcome self-doubt?
When you actively work towards overcoming your self-doubt it enables you to do great things:
Achieve your dreams - self-doubt kills dreams.
Have confidence in yourself - how can you expect anyone to believe in you if you are not confident in yourself and your abilities?
Get what you are worth - Stop selling yourself short.
Grow and make progress - Take on new challenges and grow.
Attract great people - You attract bold and confident people when you display those traits.
6 techniques to overcome self-doubt
I want to encourage you to take an active approach to overcoming self-doubt with the help of some techniques that have helped me on my journey.
Know your worth
In my blog post Know your worth! I shared insights on the importance of knowing your value and worth. The best way to overcome self-doubt is to remind yourself of what your value is regularly. Your contribution to the world you are in is invaluable. You are the only one that can do what you do best.
Share your story
Take every opportunity to share your journey. You feel empowered when you share your story with other people. In the past three months, I have become more confident as I share my story in blog posts and conversations. Reflecting on my experience as well as the power of speaking your truth has helped me overcome my self-doubt. The more I share, the stronger my inner voice becomes.
Get external support
Especially when I am trying to do something big, and self-doubt sets it, I have learned to get support from my group of trusted friends. I share my dreams, thoughts, and fears with them. They naturally encourage me and help me gain more confidence in my ability to take the next step. Build a support system that helps you along your journey.
Equip yourself
Sometimes self-doubt warns you when you are about to start something new but lack some required skills or knowledge. Use self-doubt to your advantage as a gauge instead of a stop sign. Walk through what it would take to make a move and identify the new skills you are lacking. Get the skills and knowledge you are missing by getting training or learning on the job. I always doubted my writing skills, but I got tired of holding back and decided to take a writing course to improve my skills.
Reflect on your achievements
Remember when last you had self-doubt, pushed through and did something - you succeeded. I keep an achievements log that I regularly check when I start doubting my ability to be successful in something new. It helps me remember how I successfully overcame my self-doubt.
Keep working on it
You have what it takes to do the big things that you are destined to achieve. Stop thinking small, strive to reach great heights. I constantly work on doing new things, get the tools I need and work hard to break barriers. Take the approach of continuous improvement when you are overcoming your self-doubt. You get better at it, the more you practice and work on it.
Final thoughts
Self-doubt is normal and happens all the time - Accept it.
Learn about which techniques help you overcome your self-doubt - Get to know your weapons against self-doubt.
Track the great things that have come out of you overcoming self-doubt - Celebrate your achievements.
Share your story - Tell us about how you are overcoming self-doubt.
Build your confidence - Watch out for my blog post on building your confidence!
Great resources