Career Resources

Career Resources

Overcome Self-Doubt and Be Your Best Self

Posted May 1, 2016 & filed under Leadership, Productivity

Overcome Self-Doubt and Be Your Best Self

We all are guilty of having self-limiting beliefs at some time. Self-doubt can be a major hurdle when it comes to being successful in your career. Let’s examine how to overcome self-doubt so that you can shine and be your best self. A recent Fast Company article  explores this topic of self-limiting beliefs and what you can do to overcome self-doubt. The article is appropriately titled as “5 Habits to Get Over Self-Limiting Beliefs” and it explores the steps you can take to be your best self while overcoming any fears and doubts you may have along the path to success.

How can we start to overcome self-doubt? First things first….language matters

  • Make sure to avoid saying things like “That’s impossible” or “I have to” … these phrases are not good for your mental toughness and according to expert Andrew D. Wittman, PhD, these sayings show that you have an underlying belief of self-doubt
  • If you feel trapped in your own life you need to evaluate the reasons causing you to feel trapped
  • Try to focus on remaining calm and do not overreact when you feel overwhelmed in life
  • Do not get too emotional
  • Explore why you are not satisfied
  • Look at why you are not currently making changes

The article states that “Iceberg beliefs” are self-limiting, below-the-surface doubts that could be makor obstacles to your success. So let’s look at how to take on these “icebergs”.

  1. Achievement – stop trying to be perfect. No one is perfect. You do not have to get everything right. Be easy on yourself. Try to be your best self. Believing that you need to be perfect and get everything right will limit you and is not a good way to think.
  2. Social – make yourself happy. Be nice to others but do not feel like you have to make others happy all of the time.
  3. Control – you cannot control everything in life. Accept this fact and you can achieve more in your self and be happier in your life. Do not try to spend all your energy on achieving things that are impossible.
  4. Suspend disbelief – do not get bogged down in disbelief about yourself.
  5. Set a stretch goal – this well motivate you to work hard but focus on something realistic.
  6. Get used to being off autopilot – walking around with self-limiting beliefs is like being on autopilot but it is not a practical way to live.