“Each time I write a book, every time I face that yellow pad, the challenge is so great. I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody and they’re going to find me out.”
Maya Angelou
If you are a professional you will have a feeling of self-doubt at some point in your journey.
That voice inside your head that holds you back.
It can appear at any time.
Worse kind of self-doubt appears right before you start something. It holds you back from starting. When you don’t start that project that you wanted to, you fail even before you start. Self-doubt also appears in the midst of big projects. It keeps you from building your body of work.
Good news is that it is just doubt.
Sometimes there may be real reasons behind your self-doubt, like not having the skills needed to sail through. In such times you seek mentors and learn more to rise above the situation.
It also may due to tying your potential to results of your actions in the past. Like if you have failed in the past then you may hear a voice in your that you’ll fail again.
The cricket world cup is in full swing. We’ve already witnessed some big upsets like the match where Sri Lanka beat England which is among the favorites to win. India also got jitters in their match against Afghanistan. The Indian captain said that self-doubt had cropped up during the middle of their opponent’s innings. But the winners rise beyond such doubts and get up the next day and just play the game.
To create anything of value you need to get over it. The best way to get over the self-doubt is to find your ‘why’. Why your goal, the one self-doubt is taking you away from, is important for you. If your reason is strong enough you will find ways to do it.
To reduce or get rid of self-doubt only start and work on projects that matter to you. It is not the regular solution but it works because it is ingrained in how we think and behave.
Next time you find self-doubt creeping inside your head ask why something is important to you?
