Self Doubt – 5 Strategies to Overcome it!
Today I want to share a bit about Self-Doubt. This is the training topic we covered in my Peer Advisory Boards this month.
I had a bout of this in my business as I had 3 clients in the span of 2 weeks decide not to continue working with me. They all have legitimate and valid reasons for leaving, but WOW it’s hard not to take that personally. Then I covered the training topic of Overcoming Self-Doubt. Once again, a reason that I love doing what I do and having the safe space to talk about these things with other entrepreneurs.
I have done a lot of personal development and mindset work, so I can catch myself pretty quickly from spending too much time in doubt, but it does still happen. I’m human and so are you!
Self-doubt also sometimes known as imposter syndrome, impacts everyone, including highly accomplished people in all walks of life. It can make us feel overwhelmed, think we are not up to the task, and pessimistic about our probability of success.
Research shows that self-doubt can significantly diminish our performance in business and life. How do we as entrepreneurs, who regularly experience unique challenges, rise above our own self-doubt? What can we do to counter its negative impacts?
Here are 5 strategies that can help you overcome self-doubt:
Strategy One: Recognize And Acknowledge The Fact That Self-Doubt Impacts Everyone, Including And Especially The Highly Successful People In Every Area Of Life.
Many times when we experience self-doubt it can seem like we’re the only ones afflicted with this type of negative thinking. We compare ourselves to other entrepreneurs who on the surface do not seem to experience the self-doubt that we do. The truth is that the more someone is up to, and the more they are moving out of their safe, cozy comfort zone, the more self-doubt is likely to occur.
Strategy Two: Proactively And Selectively Reach Out To Someone Who Can Offer Solid Counsel And Support.
If we are experiencing significant self-doubt, selectively reach out to one or two people for support. Just the exercise of formulating and verbalizing our thoughts for others can help us gain clarity and can reduce distorted thinking. Be careful to choose someone empathetic and encouraging -not someone who will race you to the bottom. A coach or a peer advisory board are great resources to listen and pump you back up.
Strategy Three: Examine The Basis For The Self-Doubt And Actively Counter Unfounded And Irrational Self-Doubting Thoughts.
For most people self-doubting thoughts have recurring patterns.The root cause for many limiting beliefs is from our experiences from our childhood through our young adult years. A key step in overcoming self-doubt is to begin searching for the underlying thoughts that are causing the self-doubt and then catch those triggers early.
Strategy Four: Intentionally Create A Positive Distraction That Will Help You To Relax And Gain Perspective.
At times our self-doubt can be so intense that it completely stops us from moving forward. In these situations, instead of continuing to resist our situation it may be more helpful to do something that takes our mind off of our current thoughts. Change your environment, do some activity you enjoy, or just walk around the block. Creating a brief distraction can reset your thinking and put the self- doubting thoughts into perspective.
Strategy Five: Get Into Action By Taking A First Step.
Sometimes just taking a small step is enough to move past the self-doubt that is stopping us. Action creates clarity! One helpful course of action when we are stopped is to gain additional knowledge or skills. For example, if we have a major presentation to an important audience and we are being stopped by self- doubt, an effective action step would be to listen to a podcast about giving powerful presentations. Or, practice delivering your presentation in front of one or two people and ask them to give you tips on how to improve.
TAKE ACTION:
Self-doubt can have a significant, negative impact on our performance and our enjoyment of our journey. As entrepreneurs we are constantly creating and re-creating our futures. The next time you find yourself stopped by self-doubt, try implementing one or more of these five strategies to experience higher levels of performance and success.
p.s. I’ve now got a few openings if you want to work with me as your business coach or join a Peer Advisory Board 🙂
If you need help in your business – take action and Schedule a free 30 minute FOCUS call with me today.
Here is what one of my client’s said on her 5 Star Google Review after working with me:
Mary Gaul’s coaching and her Peer Advisory Boards are amazing!! The board provides a structured safe place to create self awareness, ideate, and create self-accountability with other like minded business owners. In coaching sessions, she is supportive and helpful in fleshing out ideas and moving you toward action so you can grow yourself and your business! If you are growing your business and need support and accountability, I highly recommend The Mary Gaul!!