Whether you’re the President of the United States or someone at her first day of work, self-doubt can sneak up on anyone. When it does, it can make you doubt those fantastic abilities that got you so far already, and throw a wrench in your future success.
Even though self-doubt happens to the best of us, the truly successful have found ways to overcome that nagging feeling and continue right on the path to achieve more. Thankfully, many of them have shared how they overcame that self-doubt, and how you can too.
Here are some ways to eliminate self-doubt for good:
Focus on what you can control
Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook and author of the inspirational book Lean In, gave a great commencement speech at Barnard College about how she was able to eliminate self-doubt. The way she overcame self doubt in the male-dominated tech world is simple, yet powerful:
“Let the barriers you face–and there will be barriers–be external, not internal. Fortune does favor the bold, and I promise that you will never know what you’re capable of unless you try.”
She wisely suggested focusing on what you can control (like your thoughts), and not doubting the external things that are out of your grasp. By doing this, you can avoid getting paralyzed by doubt over things you cannot change.
Own your accomplishments
TED Speaker, punk musician and renowned author Amanda Palmer wisely said “When you’re an artist, nobody ever tells you or hits you with the magic wand of legitimacy. You have to hit your own head with your own handmade wand.”
Artist or not, the cold hard truth is that people often don’t have time to shower you with praise in today’s busy world. So rather than waiting for that “magic wand” of approval, you have to make yourself legitimate. Being your own cheerleader is one of the most powerful ways to eliminate self doubt, because sometimes, no one else will.
Be okay with some failure
Often this self-doubt creeps up because we’re so afraid of even a little failure. You should remember that nobody’s perfect, especially when they’re taking on uncharted and new ventures.
Elon Musk had the right mentality when he addressed his crew at Space X and said “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”
Just like Elon said, accepting that you might have a few slip ups on your way to being awesome is one of the ways you can eliminate self-doubt starting today.
Share your ways to eliminate self-doubt!
How did you realize your fantastic self? Get a confidence boost by sharing your tips with The Tribe!
