Face it and gain confidence today
Every high-achiever I’ve ever talked with has struggled with significant self-doubt, especially when it comes to starting or growing their own business. EVERY ONE.
We all struggle with it yet so many of us live in shame about it, allowing it to control us, to keep us stuck, for fear of failure or what others will think of us.
I allowed self-doubt to keep me stuck in a 9–5 that I hated for years, because I doubted I could make money on my own. Well, when I finally did quit, I replaced my income in the first month!
While I was growing my side business, I deferred to others who I considered to be more expert than me, even bringing in clients and then giving them to others’ businesses, freelancing for them rather than owning that it was my client, my project, and my awesome results! My therapist called this a “distortion.” It was a belief, rooted in self-doubt, that others were better or more qualified when in fact, it was just the opposite.
Now, I’m on a mission to support other women in turning their self-doubt into self-worth, and gaining the confidence to build their own dream businesses and lives.
Here’s where I recommend you start:
- Acknowledge it. Admit that self-doubt is what’s going on, so that you can deal with it head-on. By normalizing self-doubt, we take away the shame around it, get aware that it’s not a character flaw, but something that can be changed, and can begin to step into self-worth.
- Focus on your “why.” It’s not just about you, it’s about your why and what you’re on a mission to do, who you desire to help. Think about why building your business is important to you! Connect to what’s possible, and also to the reality that it won’t happen if you keep allowing self-doubt to control you. Take action in service of that bigger “why.”
- Ask a better question. As Tony Robbins famously said, “Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.” So, where can you ask a better question today? How about instead of “What if this business doesn’t work?,” you ask yourself, “What if it does?” That shift opens up your brain to think positively about it and start looking for reasons it WILL, rather than reason it won’t.
How about you? Where are you doubting yourself? Or what have you done to turn your self-doubt into self-worth?
Share in the comments below!
Christine McAlister helps high-achieving, motivated women rediscover their unique gifts and create freedom-based businesses through her company, Life With Passion.
Ready for more paying clients? Grab Christine’s free workbook, Top 5 Things To Do To Get Your First Or Next Client, and connect with her in her private Facebook community, Life With Passion Society.
Originally published at medium.com