Top 3 Ways to Ditch Self-Doubt
All of us, no matter our success, our age, or experiences, face moments of self-doubt. It’s a part of the human experience. Many of us have memories as kids standing at the top of a “giant” water slide ready to take the plunge when something inside told us we just couldn’t do it. But most of the time we overcame that fearful voice and went down the water slide anyways. In fact, that feeling of happiness and bravery was so exhilarating that chances are, we ended up doing it again and again.
As we get older, moments of self-doubt tend to sneak up more often and hold us back from doing the things we desire, ultimately hindering us from pursuing our goals and showing up as our best selves. Self-doubt has a direct effect on our confidence and can leave us feeling down and lost. The good news is that with a little bit of work we can improve our mindset and quiet these negative internal thoughts. So here are our top 3 ways to ditch self-doubt:
1. Doubt your doubts!
Your doubts are not the truth. Take a moment to let that sink in. When doubts come to the top of mind, put up a stop sign and call out your critic! Literally envision a big red stop sign. You are the one in the driver’s seat and these doubts do not get to call the shots. Remind yourself that your doubts are not the truth and that they are just fears being pushed to the forefront. By confronting these thoughts head on, you’re quieting self-doubt and minimizing the effect it has on your confidence.
2. Look inward, not outward
It’s important not to compare yourself to others and recognize that everyone is on their own journey. We’re all going through life doing the best we can with our own struggles. Try only comparing yourself to you and give yourself a pat on the back as you see how much you’ve grown. When looking outward, it’s easy to focus on what other people think, which can trigger thoughts of self-doubt. But the reality is, most people are focused on their own lives that they don’t notice much about what you do or not do. In fact, often when self-doubt arises from external criticism it’s others’ insecurities being projected onto you. Catch yourself the next time you look outward for validation. You are the #1 expert on your life so start getting in tune with your inner wisdom rather than relying on external validation.
3. Take action
Nothing improves your confidence more than by taking action. The more action you take, the more confidence you’ll build. We love Mel Robbins 5 Second Rule. If you have an instinct to act on something, countdown from 5 and then once you hit 1, boom - you must physically move and ACT. Force yourself to get moving at 1, before any thoughts of self-doubt creep in. When trying something new and/or challenging, remind yourself that everyone was once a beginner. Be patient with yourself and stick with it.
Remember, confidence is a skill. And it’s a skill that you build through taking action. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but the more you can face your doubts and go down that water slide, the more you’ll exercise and strengthen your confidence muscle. Don’t sell yourself short. Recognize that you are stronger than you know and that you have the power to limit thoughts of self-doubt to improve your confidence. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…. you got this!