How to Stop Doubting Yourself
How do you overcome self-doubt? You probably have friends or family members who encourage you to set that doubt aside and pursue the things you want, but that’s easier said than done. After all, if it was as simple as just making up your mind to stop, you would have already done so. However, it is possible to overcome a lack of confidence and believe in yourself, and the tips below can help you do that.
Contents
Know What You Want
The first step is knowing what it is that you want. Sometimes, a lack of confidence arises from trying to fit yourself into situations you don’t want to be in anyway. Figure out what’s truly important to you, whether it’s friends, having a family, your career, athletic accomplishments, or something else. You can let the things that don’t matter go. So, you’ll never be the fastest runner or the best at your job; if being a good parent and a good friend is your priority, those things don’t matter.
Change Your Dialogue
The next step is paying attention to what you say to yourself. If you listen, you might hear things like “You’ll never be able to do this” or “You aren’t smart/disciplined/talented enough to accomplish that.” Would you say those things to a friend? Work on replacing or responding to those thoughts. “I can’t do this now, but I can keep working at it to improve” is a good answer to that voice in your head that insists you can never do something.
Tackle Your Goals
The best way to banish self-doubt is to simply stride toward the thing that you want despite it. It’s normal to feel apprehensive when embarking on a challenge that you care about succeeding at but breaking it down into smaller steps can help. If you want to go to college and get a bachelor’s degree, one of your first steps will be figuring out how to pay for it. You can go online to search for Going Merry scholarships for college. This can be a great way to cover your expenses since you don’t have to repay scholarships. However, you can also apply for student loans. Other steps might include researching schools you’d like to attend and filling out applications.
Build Supportive Relationships
Do the people who are around you encourage you? If not, can you find people who do? It’s not always possible to ditch family members or colleagues who tend to bring you down, but that’s more reason not to spend time voluntarily around others who don’t lift you up. You can find supportive relationships both online and offline. Another great avenue for support is professional help, such as hiring a coach, a therapist, or a counselor. One advantage of this type of assistance is that they can listen to you in an unbiased away and may be able to provide insights that those closer to you can’t. You may also want to consider reducing your contact with people who don’t support your improving self-image.
