Let’s talk about self-doubt and fear and what they have to do with each other. They are much more closely related than you may think.
Fear is behind all our feelings of self-doubt and that’s an important thing to realize.
Let me explain. Self-doubt is the lack of confidence in yourself and your abilities. And, that lack of confidence is usually caused by fear.
Fear of not being good enough. Fear of not being able to do things right. Fear of not being able to see things through to the end. Fear of messing up. Fear of disappointing or hurting those around us. Fear of being ridiculed or laughed at.
If you think about all the different times you’ve seriously doubted yourself, you will likely find fear the root of the problem.
It stands to reason then, that if we can remove the fear – or work though it – we can also stop the self-doubt… and get productive.
But how do we go about removing or at least reducing the fear? We do it by boosting confidence, by improving our abilities, and particularly by facing our fears and working through them. Let’s look at each of these “action items” one at a time.
When your fear stems from a lack of self-esteem, work on boosting that. Things that boost self-esteem include praise, reflection, and positive reinforcement. Something you can do is to find a cheerleader that will cheer you on and give you the praise and compliments you need.
A journal is a great tool for reflecting on how far you’ve come and how much you’ve already accomplished. For positive reinforcement, start taking action on some easy tasks. Get them done and use the momentum to continue to propel you forward. Give these ideas a try and watch your confidence and self-esteem grow.
If your fear stems from not knowing how to do something, the solution is easy. Go learn how to do it. Find a teacher, a book, a course… heck, find a YouTube video and move on.
Facing your fear is the hardest thing to do on this short little list. It’s also the most powerful. The key is to define your fear. Figure out exactly what it is that you’re afraid of. It will seem much less scary once you define it. Once you know this, you can start to work through your fear, which in itself is a huge confidence booster.
Start chipping away at that fear, improving your self-worth and your self-confidence along the way and self-doubt will soon be a think of the past.
