Summary: In this article, I'll be sharing my views on the power of overcoming self-doubt. I believe that self-doubt can become a habit and that it can be a result of the environment you're in, hindering you from pursuing your goals. To illustrate my points of view, I'd like to share a personal experience. I'll also be offering a simple solution to combat self-doubt, which I have found helpful - stepping outside of your known environment (comfort zone) and seeking feedback from new people.
I recently shared a video clip (reel) on my social channels of Mel Robbins talking about self-doubt. The video received a tremendous amount of attention. It prompted me to think deeply about this topic further and inspired me to share my views on it. As someone who has faced and conquered self-doubt several times, I know a thing or two about the power of overcoming self-doubt. According to Mel Robbins, self-doubt can be a habit and a thinking pattern that you repeat, making it difficult to overcome. Understanding that self-doubt is a behavioural pattern is an important piece of the puzzle, but self-doubt can also be a result of your current environment. Because people in your known environment (comfort zone) have preconceived ideas about what you can and cannot do. So more often than not when you decide to try something new, your ideas are likely to be dismissed or discouraged based on these preconceived notions about your capabilities.
Say, for example, you suddenly decided to start singing in public, enter a competition, and launch a YouTube channel. Or perhaps you made the audacious choice to leave your job and launch your own business to follow your passion. You are most likely visualising yourself in your immediate, known environment (comfort zone) when you think about these things. You'll start to consider what your friends and relatives would think since they may have previously advised you not to take that risk or that you are not as good as you think you are, or what your co-workers might think because some of them have already warned you that it's a bad idea. Then comes the self-doubt as a result of this environment and the rest is history!
Let me relate a personal experience to illustrate what I mean and perhaps help you understand my points of view. A few years ago, I was in the process of changing jobs. By the time I finally left, I was no longer enjoying what I was doing. I started to doubt everything about myself at that workplace to the point where I started to doubt my capabilities as a leader. I began seeking alternatives because I felt unqualified for the position and unprepared to take on such a significant task. I thought I might need to take a step back, but as soon as I removed myself from that known environment and started talking to agents, they reinforced my beliefs that I would be better off somewhere else and that I had a lot to offer. I eventually landed a fantastic gig after that. Even as I resigned, I received advice to look for something smaller that would better suit me and that I had made the right decision, although I had already been offered an incredible opportunity that was not only bigger in many aspects but also better. As you can see, their preconceived notions of me at the time led them to say things that would further amplify my insecurities or self-doubt.
Now that you realise that self-doubt frequently results from your surroundings, allow me to offer you an uncomplicated solution that will work like magic. You've probably guessed it by now. You are correct; occasionally, it is necessary to remove yourself from the known environment (comfort zone) to attempt new things. Take your endeavours and ideas to places where people don't already have preconceived notions about you. These unbiased eyes and ears will probably reply without passing judgement. There won't be any bias in the criticism you might get. This will either serve to support your own opinions or at the very least, you'll hear an honest viewpoint that can inspire you to improve your own.
In conclusion, self-doubt can be a challenging hurdle to overcome, but it is possible. Your known environment can often play a significant role in the development of self-doubt along with the preconceived ideas people have developed about you. Stepping outside of your known environment (comfort zone) and seeking feedback from new people can be a powerful tool in overcoming self-doubt. Once you recognise the impact of the known environment on self-doubt, you can take steps towards building self-confidence and pursuing your goals.
#SelfDoubt #Confidence #PersonalDevelopment #SelfImprovement #BelieveInYourself #MindsetMatters #PositiveThinking #ConfidenceBuilding
Naveen Maram
Driven to inspire the next-gen.
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