Is Self-Doubt Stopping You From Living Your Dreams?

Everyone suffers from at least a little self-doubt. It’s basic human nature. At the extremes, it can keep you alive. But, in most situations, it only serves to limit you.

The level of success you achieve is influenced by the level of self-doubt you experience.

Self-doubt is one of the primary obstacles to living your dreams. What would you do if you had

more confidence in your abilities? Most people freeze when faced with self-doubt. Unsuccessful people find an excuse to do something else. If you want to maximize your success, it’s important to find another way.

Use these strategies to overcome self-doubt and reap the success you deserve:

1. Be aware that self-doubt is only as limiting as you allow it to be. Just because you doubt yourself, doesn't mean you have to stop yourself. Self-doubt doesn't have to be limiting at all if you can move past it and take courageous action anyway.
2. Overcoming self-doubt is one of the most powerful things you can do to be more successful. While self-doubt doesn’t have to be limited, most people do find that it inhibits their ability to take action. Your ability to succeed will reach new levels if you can rid yourself of self-doubt.
3. Learn that others aren’t concerned with you. By overcoming your self-doubt, you'll realize that others aren't as concerned with you as you thought. This can be very cathartic and create a sense of peace in your life. You’ll find that your courage grows exponentially.
4. Develop optimism. Optimism is the opposite of self-doubt. If you had high expectations for your performance, you’d be pretty optimistic. Optimism is one way to combat self-doubt, and optimism is useful in all parts of life.
5. Learn to accept yourself. Self-doubt can arise from having unreasonable expectations of yourself. Accepting yourself as you are will help to soothe any feelings of self-doubt.
6. Learn to focus on small wins. Focusing on making progress is another way to limit feelings of self-doubt. It’s also a great approach to life. Small wins are easy to accumulate and maintain. Biting off more than you can chew can be intimidating. I always say “take baby steps.”
7. The effort is worthy of respect. Taking pride in the fact that you tried can short-circuit the doubt you feel in yourself. If the effort is good in itself, you’ll be less concerned about failing to get results. Showing up is more than half the battle. The good effort eventually gives good results.
8. Overcoming self-doubt will give you the belief that you can overcome other personal obstacles. Each personal battle you win gives you the confidence you need to tackle another. Each won battle makes you a more capable person.

Dealing with self-doubt is part of the human experience. You can either allow it to stop you, plow through it, or work to eliminate it. Eliminating self-doubt takes work, but it’s an extremely effective long-term solution. Otherwise, you’ll be dealing with its barriers for the rest of your life.

Overcoming self-doubt is a huge step toward self-actualization and success. Most people allow self-doubt to stop them in their tracks. But you aren’t “most people.” Learn to get past your self-doubt. Start practicing today and enjoy greater success!