Hey! What you dreamin’? It’s big, huh? When you’re inspired by big goals, your progress can be stunted by worry and doubt. I’ve been there. So, here are 5 ways to work past self-doubt so that you can get back to what really matters:
1. Reclaim your time
What would happen if you continued to doubt yourself? Nothing good. If you’re a multi-passionate working woman, then you’re already feeling the crunch when it comes to time. You work hard, study hard, and dream even bigger. I’m willing to bet that your schedule’s jam-packed with important things. You don’t have time to waste on worrying.
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve frozen with worry about a project instead of just doing the dang project. Like, “How am I supposed to write 10 pages about xyz and does it have to be in size 12 font?!”
When you get tripped up by worry and doubt, these thoughts take away from the time you could spend brainstorming – or better yet – putting your plans into action. In other words, self-doubt steals away from your productivity. Reclaim your time and use it towards progress, not fear. (Read: 4 Reasons to Make Time For Your Passion Now)
2. Keep the big picture in mind
When you’re aiming towards something new, its enormity can be intimidating. What huge goal do you have right now?
Don’t worry, you don’t have to tell me about it, but be honest with yourself. As lofty as it might be, isn’t it also worth it? Is your potential success worth putting yourself out there?
Rather than focusing on the negatives (“what if it doesn’t work out?”), think about the alternative. What if you get into that program, sell that product, get that position or finish that project? Direct your focus onto the positive big picture.
3. Take the smallest step forward
What can you do today to get you there? If you’re thinking about all the things you have to get done, you’re going to paralyze yourself with fear. Put down your to do list and instead ask yourself, “what can I do right now that will get me closer to achieving my goal?” Then do it.
Even the smallest item will set you on the right path, not because you’ve accomplished one more thing, but because you’ve moved from a place of fear to a place of action. Once you start doing, you stop doubting.
4. Acknowledge your accomplishments
This one is hard for some of us. When is the last time you objectively analyzed your progress? What have you done in the past that suggests that your negative thoughts are incorrect? An easy one for anyone with a degree: if you’re worried that you won’t pass your licensing exams, what evidence do you have that maybe you will? The fact that you’re in professional school is already a huge accomplishment, and you’ve passed other exams in the past.
Take a moment to give yourself credit for the amazing things that you’ve done and the positive traits you already possess. Write them down and then read them out loud for this to really sink in. If you feel strange hearing these things out loud, then you probably haven’t given yourself props for all the good things that you’ve done. Your self-praise should sing louder than your self-doubt.
5. Recognize it’s not really about you
Lastly, you have this dream for a reason, and you won’t be walking in your purpose until you choose to live it out. It’s about the people you could be serving, the art you could be creating, the things you could be experiencing. If you think your goal is just for you, it might be. But you might also be missing something big. Don’t downplay your dreams; give yourself the time and space to live them.
Summary
Alright, y’all. That is it: 5 prompts to help you move through the feeling of self-doubt that all of us have at some point in time. The key here is you can doubt yourself but still be about yourself. Your dreams, your goals, your big work… you can do it all, but you’re going to have move past the fear of failure whenever it pops up. Remind yourself to:
- Reclaim your time
- Keep the big picture in mind
- Take the smallest step forward
- Acknowledge your accomplishments, and
- Recognize it’s not really about you
And if you could use another pep-talk like this, make sure you join our community for email support around prioritizing your self-care so you can go after your multiple passions.