Overcoming Self-doubt- 9 Practical Ways That Actually Work!

Chapter Three: True Self-Confidence, The Antidote For Self-Doubt

Hey there! This is a special moment for you. I want to introduce you to your mind’s sneakiest saboteur— Self-Doubt. It steals your opportunities, whispers lies and quietly ruins your life. Let’s expose it. Let’s silence it. Get a pen real quick, there is a self-assessment test curated just for you in this piece.

leggo!

From Self-doubt To Self-Confidence

One reason we struggle with insecurity: we are comparing our behind-the-scenes to everyone else’s highlight reel - Steven Furtick

You are capable of moving from self-doubt to self-confidence. Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond our thinking, and we just don’t know the extent of our powers. It is our light, not our darkness, that scares us. We tend to ask ourselves, Who am I to be this talented? Who am I to be brilliant and gorgeous? Well, who are you not to be? You are not serving the world better by playing yourself small. You are not meant to shrink so that others won’t feel insecure around you. You are meant to shine! When we let our light shine, we allow others to do the same. As we liberate ourselves from fear, we give the permission for others to be liberated too.

Self-doubt takes your mind off what really matters and shifts your focus to yourself. In a way, self-doubt is a product of a brewing narcissistic behavior. A narcissist focuses on himself alone. The world isn’t always about you. When you shift your focus from what is at hand (like a project or a goal) to what you feel, you eliminate the role of the needed self-discipline to achieve your goals.

Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not - Elbert Hubbard.

If you live your life on feelings, you’ll never get anything done. Think of it, who feels good waking up to get to work in the morning? Who feels good reading and researching for several hours just to write a two-page report? No one feels good working. We all want to live a stress-free life with little effort and huge results. But the truth is that those individuals enjoying little effort and huge results have worked their asses out at one point in time. And that is why you shouldn’t compare your behind-the-scenes to someone else's highlight reel. It isn’t easy to reach the stage of total self-confidence, but it isn’t unattainable. You can move from self-doubt to self-confidence with the right focus and self-discipline.

Activity

The Self-Confidence Assessment Test

After taking this test, you'll be able to determine your self-confidence starting point. You are to read each statement and highlight:

A- If the statement is true for you most of the time.

B- If it is true, some of the time

C- If it is not usually true.

1. I am willing to risk it all for something I believe in A B C

2. I have a realistic knowledge of my strengths and weaknesses. A B C

3. I have methods to cope with fear and self-doubt A B C

4. I always plan and prepare for new experiences A B C

5. Unexpected changes do not put me off balance A B C

6. I recognize failure as a learning curve and part of life A B C

7. I have a strong idea of what I value in life A B C

8. I love to remember my past successes A B C

9. I do not give up easily A B C

10. My actions are in line with my values A B C

11. I don’t mind asking for help and support whenever I need it. A B C

12. I have an inherent sense of self-worth A B C

13. I recognize that not everyone will like or approve of me A B C

14. I do not beat myself up whenever I am going through a rough time A B C

15. My thoughts do not discourage me from trying something new. A B C

16. I understand that setbacks are normal A B C

If your answers are mostly A’s, then you’re pretty confident, and you’re not allowing obstacles to get in your way. If you have mostly B’s, you’re right in the middle. Sometimes you’re confident, while some other times you’re not. You might fall prey to common pitfalls that undermine self-confidence. If you have mostly C’s, then your self-confidence is shaky. That’s okay, there is no one with full, or complete self-confidence round the clock. In the latter chapters, I’ll teach you how you can ease up on yourself, recognize your achievements, and handle setbacks.

Introduction| Chapter One| Chapter Two (a)| Chapter Two (b)| Chapter Three (a)