Self-doubt is an inseparable part of human nature but since it can also hamper creativity and self-confidence of an entrepreneur to quite a large extent, it becomes important to overcome it as soon as possible. Since business owners are often required to overcome multiple challenges relating to their business such as market forces, deadlines, limited resources, understanding how to fight self-doubt becomes mandatory for the growth of your business.
Why pay so much heed to eradicating self-doubt?
Self-doubt can get you to a much-required point of reality check but it also often plagues your thoughts and continues to sabotage your actions. The very first step that you would require an undertaking for overcoming self-doubt is to realise how deep it exists within you and how far it affects (or rather hampers) your thoughts and actions. Self-doubt can have a negative impact on the growth of your business preventing you from ‘leading’. In a nutshell, self-doubt often invites both tangible and psychological effects on your body, mind and soul.
One major aspect that is connected with self-doubt is that we often tend to care about how people around view us. It is often the only thing that matters to the person in self-doubt, which further gives rise to loss of confidence. All this can often make you feel like a ‘wannabe quitter’, which means things are definitely not going down well or in the manner they should be.
In order to ensure that you don’t have to second-guess yourself every time, it becomes extremely important to find out what can help you overcome your self-doubt and boost the level of confidence from within. Have a look at what we feel you can do to fight and overcome self-doubt in business.
Tip No. 1 – Don’t forget your success
Fear of failure is often the primary thing that mars everything and it is often responsible for plaguing the thought process of the small business owners. Fear affects your work if it manages to stay illogically and endlessly – that is what you have to be careful about!
For someone who is a leader in small business circle, this can often be a challenge. Revisit your past and recall the successful moments you have enjoyed in your business. Personal and professional accomplishments can give your thought process an entirely new direction, and when you realise how you achieved them, you are only going to feel much more confident from within. You will then be able to face challenges lying ahead.
Tip No. 2: Don’t hesitate – take action and be spontaneous!
There is no denying over the fact that often self-doubt keeps you stuck and prevents you from taking action. It largely affects your problem-solving abilities and this further create trouble for you by making it almost impossible to take decisions much required at that point of time. Even when you are taking a shorter step towards the goal, you should be doing it without hesitation and with utmost confidence. You can not only break free from all those mental handcuffs but you can also move forward and take the most convincing decisions in the most suitable time.
Tip No. 3: Face all your fears before you face challenges
Walking into your fear may not have been your cup of coffee. Well then, try something else like a cup of tea or lemonade water. Okay jokes apart, here we are talking about facing fear and removing any scope for self-doubt; as a result of which you will feel that the final outcome was not as bad as you anticipated it to be.
Tip No. 4: Monitor self-talk that exhibits confidence
The manner in which you interact with yourself speaks volumes about your goals, personality and attitude. Your internal dialogue can have a huge impact on your performance and the manner in which you take up tasks. Indulging in your self-defeating thoughts is definitely not a good idea and should be taken as a challenge. Question your decisions and have a conversation with the same, it will only make you a little more confident from within and that too without actually having to bother anyone else.
There’s nothing wrong in learning from the experts and trying to figure out what made them successful and how they, in particular, win over their self-doubt, low confidence and fear. Make sure that you participate in entrepreneurial Meetups or small gatherings with others in the same industry so that you can get access to constructive ideas and experience. It is certainly something beyond your own limitations. However, in the process you will actually meet people who think like you and are on the road of development similar to yours! The mere feeling that you are not alone should boost your confidence and help you overcome self-doubt in the long run.
About the Author: This article is contributed by Joshua Reynolds who works at Convex-mirror.co.uk, a leading UK based supplier of convex mirrors.