6 Ways to Squash Self-Doubt

Several months ago, I made a list of the top 12 reasons I shouldn’t have a blog. Some of my reasons included:

Who cares what I think
There are already tons of successful, brilliant bloggers who produce profound posts
There’s just too much competition today
I don’t have anything earth-shattering to say

This was my self-doubting talking – more accurately, screaming. Sometimes, I feel like my self-doubt is merely a pest (I can feel its annoying presence but I still prevail); other times, I feel like it’s superhuman, and I’m no match for its amazing strength.

But I want to have a blog; I really want to! I felt a bit silly (and less than sane) arguing like a three-year-old with myself. And then I remembered something: In one of my psychology classes at Texas A&M, we got into a discussion about our research. We were talking about how all of us are busy conducting studies, but our research isn’t revolutionary; we’re not digging for earth-shattering answers. As the four of us (we had quite the tiny cohort) sat with our heads in our hands, disappointed and swimming in self-doubt, my professor simply said that we’re adding our research, our voice to the conversation. Maybe we’re not making big, bold strides, but we’re raising our hands and trying to contribute to a meaningful conversation. And ultimately, that’s what I hope this blog does.

Without further adieu, here’s how to stomp on self-doubt with both feet, jump on it several times and finally crush it (or at least sidestep it for now):

1. Instead of listing a litany of reasons why you can’t do something, just think of one reason why you can. And do it. I realized I really wanted to start a blog, to help myself and others – even if those others are a handful of readers (Hi Mom and Dad!). Granted, it took me a long time to brainstorm and finally take the plunge (a post on overcoming perfectionism is forthcoming) but my reasons for creating a blog outweighed my long list of self-doubt saboteurs.

2. Create modest goals. Instead of starting at the top (I want to have hundreds of readers and stand out in my niche), consider you’re a voice, adding your personality, perspective and style to the conversation. Having humble goals doesn’t mean you’re shooting for mediocrity; it just means you’re giving yourself a jump-start. Because if self-doubt reigns, then so does hesitation and never even starting.

3. Have a self-esteem file on hand. Everyone can experience self-doubt but when you already have a shaky self-esteem, it’s one thing that’s even harder to, well, shake. To boost your self-esteem, Beyond Blue blogger Therese Borchard, suggests starting a self-esteem file. She writes about the 10 steps to build your file. Among the steps, she includes writing down your strengths and asking friends to write them down, too. Whenever self-doubt slithers in, refer to your self-esteem file and remember why you can do it.

4. Why the doubt? Try making a list of reasons why you’re doubting yourself and then for each point, ask yourself honestly whether the statement applies to you. Then, use the list to your advantage. If your self-doubt du jour is a presentation at work, maybe you’re doubting yourself because you haven’t practiced your speech enough or done the research required to create the best product. These are all fixable. Consider letting your statements drive your to-do list. You might write: Practice the speech three times today; block off an hour to do online research. Maybe once you can control the situation and work through your insecurities, you can squash your self-doubt!

5. Accept it. You don’t have to arm wrestle your self-doubt. Choose to accept that you’re feeling insecure. You can still doubt yourself but it doesn’t have to stop you from moving forward as long as you realize that you can overcome your insecurities. It can be as simple (and as difficult) as saying: “I’m not sure if I can really do this, but I’m going to try; I’ll do my best and see what happens.”

6. Put things into perspective. And if all else fails, do some more thinking and look on the bright side. On his blog, Tim Ferriss includes an inspiring video. He writes:

“In your moments of self-doubt, I encourage you to watch it and meditate on all of the things you’ve done that you once considering impossible. The odds you’ve overcome, the critics you’ve proven wrong, and the small defeats that — through making you stronger and smarter — made huge victories possible later.”

How do you silence your self-doubt? I’d love to hear your tips and tricks!

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Tagged as: How-to, Self-doubt