You can possess advanced skills and a keen intellect. But if you're beset by self-doubt, it can sabotage your success.
The most common type of self-doubt involves a lack of confidence. That can stem from many factors, from the way you were raised to a feeling that you're an impostor posing as a leader.
Sometimes, we lose faith in ourselves for nonsensical reasons. The most accomplished experts may question themselves if they set an unrealistically high standard. Even short people may feel inadequate when measuring themselves against taller peers.
Some public figures wear lifted dress shoes to gain a few inches of height in photographs or live media appearances. Others shove aside self-doubt and embrace who they are to stay confident.
To overcome bouts of self-doubt, you need a strategy to reframe your thinking. How can you fight off shaky confidence to achieve your goals?
Spot The Symptoms For Self-Doubt
Learn to detect early signs of self-doubt so that you can take action to tamp it down. Otherwise, it can fester and pose bigger problems later.
Melody Wilding, a New York City-based executive coach, says that self-doubt afflicts many of her clients. She says it often shows up as indecisiveness.
"You might be second-guessing yourself a lot," said Wilding, author of "Trust Yourself."
Other red flags: You withhold sharing your ideas for fear of looking foolish — or you crave others' approval and praise.
"If you doubt yourself, you may have a high need for validation from others," Wilding said.
Self-Doubt: Follow Your Gut
Once you set a goal, focus on taking incremental steps to attain it. If you're unsure of your path, run experiments and use the findings to refine your approach.
Let your intuition guide you, even if you're riddled with uncertainty.
"If you doubt yourself, you may not trust your own judgment," Wilding said. "There can be an overemphasis on consensus-seeking" that slows your progress and leads you to go against your gut instinct.
Detach Yourself
To conquer self-doubt, step away from it. Imagine that you're observing your doubt from afar rather than letting it seep into your psyche.
"Give your inner critic a name and identity that's separate from you," Wilding said. "That gives you psychological distance and brings some levity to it."
When self-doubt starts to set in, assign a fun label to it. For example, say to yourself, "Uh-oh, here comes Bozo." Then wave away this intruder and proceed with goal attainment.
Stay Grounded
When doubt creeps in, try to step back and assess your situation with clarity. Beware of having your blinders on and engaging in self-sabotage.
Jourdan Travers, a New Jersey-based psychotherapist, suggests that you ask yourself, "Is this goal a realistic or unrealistic expectation given all the extraneous factors in my life?"
If you're dealing with health ailments, elder-care issues or major transitions like job loss, it's important to consider how these events affect your mood, cause stress and jolt your confidence.
Harness Your Strengths
Doubt tends to plague people who dwell on their self-perceived weaknesses but deny their strengths. They magnify every little mistake they make — and brush aside triumphs and past goals they've reached.
Travers recommends that you list "what you're good at" and "what areas you're struggling with." Then ask yourself two key questions: "Am I harnessing what I'm good at?" and "What am I doing to improve my skills or address the areas I'm struggling with?"
"Through this honest self-appraisal, you can use this information to help propel you forward toward your goal," she said. As long as you're growing, improving and building on your strengths, you're less likely to stew in self-doubt.
