We all need to overcome our self-doubts if we want to win. Find out 7 top tips to do that as well as to boost your self-confidence.
At some time in our lives, we all wonder if we are doing enough, making enough money, or will be “successful” enough.
I know this directly since I spent much of my adolescence in a constant state of worry and self-doubt.
When I graduated from college, I worked sixty, seventy, and even eighty hours per week in a corporate setting, working my way up the corporate ladder. That was success in my opinion, even if it wasn’t what I actually want for myself.
I clung to dead-end employment, poisonous relationships, and depleting friendships because I was afraid of being labelled a quitter if I left them.
I questioned myself to the point that I made decisions based on what others expected of me rather than what I want for myself.
I was continually lacking confidence and second-guessing myself.
What I’ve learned from my experiences is that if I don’t address the self-limiting beliefs immediately once, they may become crippling.
I’ve identified a few things that help me overcome self-doubt and raise my confidence, and they could benefit you as well.
Here are top 7 tips to overcome self-doubt and boost confidence
1. Stop comparing your successes to those of your friends and coworkers
When I compare what I’m doing to what other people are doing, I find myself doubting myself the most. When I compare my successes to those of a coworker, I begin to feel inadequate.
Your colleague’s achievements are not a litmus test for determining your own success.
When you find yourself in this thought cycle, keep in mind that everyone is on their own journey.
I find that I am most successful in my personal and professional life when I do what works for me and what makes me happy, even if it differs from what someone I like does.
2. Forget about what other people think of you
When you are concerned with what others think of you, you inhibit yourself. You’d rather do nothing and avoid criticism than do something and face criticism.
Worrying about what other people think of you will keep you from doing something potentially life-changing for yourself. If you have ambitions for your future, you’ll have to let go of everyone else’s view at some point; otherwise, you’ll be in a perpetual state of self-doubt.
3. Simply make a decision and then adjust your course as you go
Getting caught up in a decision is yet another guaranteed way to sow the seeds of self-doubt. It’s all too easy to get bogged down in decision-making.
This back-and-forth cognitive process—questioning whether you should choose option A or option B—can amplify self-doubt.
What is the solution to this?
Make a decision, already! Typically, your first reaction will be your finest because it comes from intuition rather than the ego, and before extraneous opinions get in the way.
“No feeling is definitive,” Rainer Maria Rilke writes, and I believe the same might be said about your decisions. Simply make a decision and then fine-tune your path as you go.
4. On a daily basis, listen to and/or read encouraging stuff
Listening to some of my favorite self-development books is one of my go-to ways to improve my confidence in a hurry. I’ll put the audio books on my iPod and listen to them while walking to work, using the metro, or simply roaming around town. It serves as a good reminder to me of my potential.
It’s a quick pick-me-up
5. At the end of each day, write in a thankfulness diary
It’s far too easy to wallow in self-pity and focus on what we don’t have instead of what we do. Giving those feelings energy will simply lead to additional situations in which we will come up short.
Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, consider what you do have and what you’ve accomplished. This promotes a sense of thankfulness, and if you put effort into gratitude now, you’ll discover that you’ll be rewarded in the future.
Gratitude puts you in a favourable frame of mind. When you’re feeling nice, you’re feeling positive. And when you’re happy, nice things happen.
6. Identify and cultivate your most ardent supporters
Nobody is an island, which means you can’t do everything on your own. Sometimes all you need is a little reassurance, and your biggest supporters are the ones who provide it for you.
You must first identify your strongest supporters—friends, family members, and classmates who believe you’re the cat’s meow and have always supported you.
Friends who tell you you’re amazing just because they can. Then, focus your efforts on developing deeper and more enduring relationships with these folks. We all have them, so cultivate them and take power and confidence from them.
7. Seek help from your mantras
I’ve developed a series of mantras throughout the years that I basically repeat anytime I question myself. The mantras remind me of how far I’ve come and how much I’m doing for myself. They also remind me to take things slowly, to be kind with myself, and to always listen to my heart.
“You are adored,” is one of my favourite mantras.
Doubtful sentiments might emerge when we believe we are not good enough, which can result from a sense that we are not liked. By repeating this mantra, I remind myself that the people in my life love me, that I am enough, and that I do not need to doubt myself.
We will all experience some form of self-doubt at some point in our lives; it is a natural aspect of being human. As I continue on my personal path, I’ve discovered that thoughts of self-doubt generally occur when we aren’t truly feeling appreciated.
