Get a grip on self-doubt
“The inner you has wings, let it fly!”
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Get a grip on self-doubt
I was thinking this morning how easy it can be to slip into self–doubt when things aren’t going so well. The dragons in the brain go towards worst case scenario and love to disasterise everything. Everyone struggles with this at times and even the rich and famous have their moments.
Just last week I was chatting with a young doctor who, to everyone around her, is talented, hardworking, intelligent, charming, resilient and successful in every way. Yet in the process of making big life changes, she was suffering from depression and self–doubt. These negative thoughts were crowding out her enthusiasm and excitement for life and killing her self-confidence.
The question is if even the most successful leaders experience periods of self-doubt, when their confidence levels waver how do they manage to reach sustained levels of success and personal satisfaction despite this?
Well, I can’t speak for them, but I have a three-pronged defence mechanism that I use which you might find helpful. It goes like this: firstly, I take time to strengthen my personal vision. It helps here to have a purpose that is bigger than myself. By this, I mean finding inspiration in a goal beyond my own personal success, such as caring for my family, or my staff or finding passion in making a difference to the world in some way. This takes my eye off my own challenges and puts it outwards to helping others.
Secondly, I calm my anxious mind with mindfulness. In its very simple form mindfulness is about focusing on what is happening right now, this moment. Quieting the busy mind and focusing on becoming fully present. For example, this morning as I was making breakfast, I asked myself the question “If this was my last chance ever to do this, how differently would I feel?’ Instantly my experience was transformed and the simple process of peeling a banana became magical. I felt gratitude for something that I do every day.
Lastly, it’s important to call upon our courage. The courage to be different, to expose ourselves to criticism, the courage to ask for help, to listen and the courage to be wrong. I remind myself of my mantra which is that the only real failure is not trying in the first place. Have the courage to try.
So, if this sounds to helpful to you, this week let’s find ways to encourage self-belief and banish feelings of self-doubt, so we can unleash our gifts and talents and make a difference in the world.
