Self doubt can stop you dead in your tracks. You wonder, Am I doing enough? Am I doing it right? Will I ever get there?
These are very common thoughts when you’re trying to change something in your life. You get this end goal in mind, and then you start thinking about all the different things you’ll need to do to get there. And yes, that can be overwhelming! Because you can’t do all those things at once, and you don’t do all those things overnight. This can lead to doubting yourself and you start breaking under pressure.
So let’s talk about this: what can you do to overcome self doubt and prevent yourself from cracking?
1. Honor the Struggle
Your struggle with making a change is real. These feelings you’re having will likely not “go away”, but you will get better at managing them in a way that is conducive to helping you reach your goals.
2. Check Your Circle
Do you have a circle, or a cage? I love this inspiration from the late Nipsey Hustle, “If you look at the people in your story and you don’t get inspired, you don’t have a circle… you have a cage.”
The people in our lives are supposed to bring out the best in us. Anytime you’re starting something new, you should have a support squad around you that will motivate you forward. You shouldn’t be alone in any journey and can make progress faster when you have people to uplift you.
3. Share Your Struggle
One of the secrets to overcome self doubt is to not keep it to yourself. Sure, we don’t like to burden other people. But when you have the right people in your circle, sharing your thoughts on self doubt isn’t a burden. It’s not a sign of weakness. It’s an opportunity to make those connections even stronger. And it helps you learn and grow.
4. Follow Your Heart and Your Why
I talk about this a lot in my Self Love and Sweat THE PODCAST and in my 6-week Mind Body Love program. Knowing your why (your purpose) behind your goal is arguably the best guide you’ll ever have.
I recommend writing it down and reading it often so you don’t lose sight of what’s important to you. Be relentless about what sets your soul on fire. Make it emotionally compelling so you can keep the end goal in your heart and your mind.
MY WHY: Because I want to be able to work from anywhere in the world, be able to visit my family whenever I want and make maximum impact with my God-given purpose.
5. Don’t Take Missteps as Failure
Those nagging feelings of not being or doing enough aren’t going to disappear. But even though they won’t be eliminated, you can still overcome them. You can reframe these thoughts, such as thinking you’ve found a way that didn’t work instead of flat-out failing.
Take every moment as a learning opportunity – it will keep your confidence high and help you feel like you’re still making progress.
Hear more on how to overcome self doubt on Episode #17 of the Self Love and Sweat podcast.