Overcoming Self Doubt in the Workplace

“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.”― Suzy Kassem

Every person, on various levels, experiences self-doubt at some point in their life, especially in their career. Whether it’s starting a new job or tackling a challenging project, we can all agree we’ve questioned our own abilities and it can be rather discomforting. Unfortunately, there’s no magic wand to banish self- doubt for good; but there are healthy ways to deal with it by building your self-confidence up.

Many value the power of confidence and for good reason. According to the World Economic Forum, the key to success is actually confidence, not talent. The University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business found that those who were more confident experienced greater success than their peers, despite talent levels.

When we become more confident in our abilities, we are better able to block out our fears and doubt. Below, I listed some of my best ways to build confidence to overcome self-doubt in the workplace.

Embrace self- doubt as a part of being human

The first and crucial step to overcome self-doubt is realizing it’s a healthy, natural response that everyone experiences. Highly successful leaders from every industry have spoken out about experiencing self-doubt at some point in their life. Take CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg for example. Just a few years into launching his business, Zuckerberg turned down numerous offers from big names to buy his company. He then wrestled with the doubt that he made the wrong decision, especially when advised by everyone around him to sell. However, he was able to overcome self-doubt by believing in his company’s long-term purpose. Just like Mark Zuckerberg, understand you will doubt yourself. It’s what you do next that matters

Change your mindset

More often than not, people tend to focus on the negative and what they are lacking or missing. Instead, challenge yourself to look at the glass half-full instead of half-empty. Focusing on the positive rather than dwell on negative can greatly impact your success. Attitude is everything and knowing how to control it is doable. I love practicing meditation to keep my mind clear and focused as well as keeping me calm.

Leadership expert, Brian Braudis explains we play an active role in interpreting our thoughts into reality. "You can begin to put this science into practice by noticing, intercepting and challenging your negative or limiting thoughts. Don’t allow thoughts to turn into beliefs." He explains our negative thoughts about ourselves are just perceptions and we can train our brain to stop those thoughts. Reminding yourself of things you are grateful for every day is a great way to transition or stay in a positive mindset.

Don't let fear be your guide

Self-doubt is often the direct result of fear, more specifically, the fear of failure. Rather than constantly fearing the potential for failure, accept the reality that it may happen, and embrace the lessons if and when it does. I strongly believe our perception of failure is what stalls us from becoming successful. IBM founder Thomas Watson once said, "If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate." Realize that failure at some level is inevitable, but also understand that for every failure you experience, the more you learn, and the easier it becomes to prevent failure in the future. Treat your failures as a stepping stone towards success rather than a setback.

Set realistic short-term goals

A productive way to combat self-doubt is to set short-term goals and meet those goals, thereby building confidence. At times, the big picture can be overwhelming. When this happens, it’s important to step back and set realistic goals which can be accomplished in a quick and efficient manner. Also important, keep your goals in writing in a journal or on your laptop. There is power in writing down goals, checking off accomplishments, and realizing accomplishment. "The achievement of one goal should be the starting point of another." --Alexander Graham Bell. Set your short-term goals, write them down, and build your confidence by seeing your accomplishments.

Self-doubt can be your own worst enemy. While a natural emotion, if we let self-doubt guide our actions, we begin to question our efforts and work product. This will ultimately lead to greater frustration and a less than desirable results. Fight the urge to doubt your potential, and remember to utilize the tools to maintain your confidence and develop a strong belief in your abilities. The results will be amazing.

PS - I'm on Instagram now! Are you? If you have any questions, send me a DM on Instagram, and I'll make sure to reply there! I'm @KaraGoldin!

Kara Goldin is the founder and CEO of San Francisco–based hint, a healthy lifestyle brand that produces the leading unsweetened flavored water and a scented sunscreen spray that’s oxybenzone and paraben-free. Listen to her podcast, Unstoppable, where she interviews founders, entrepreneurs, and disruptors across various industries and keep up with her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

#Entrepreneur #Confidence #Successful #SelfDoubt