5 Steps to Overcoming Self-Doubt And Conquering Fear

Introduction

It happens, right?

You wake up inspired, energized, and totally ready to take on the day, excited to fulfill your biggest dreams. After a cup of coffee, you sit down at your desk and start tackling your to-do list. You check off number one and number two pretty quickly and as you read number three, which is to start following up with potential customers, self-doubt starts to creep in. Initially, it creates a bit of hesitancy. And then…

Bam. It hits you hard. The negative soundtrack in your mind starts spiraling into why this isn’t going to work. How you can’t do this. You don’t know how to do this. It takes off like a freight train, “What if I fail? I’m not good enough, smart enough, courageous enough, I just don’t have what it takes, what if I waste all my time and this doesn’t amount to anything?” and on and on.

Overcoming Self-Doubt and Conquering Fear

Here’s the question: what do you do in that moment?

Do you distract yourself? Put your head in your hands and indulge in the feeling of defeat. Resign to your life being less than you desire. Or do you recognize that this soundtrack, this voice in your head is just a part of your human experience, it is not who you are.

We have all experienced that inner voice that loves to second-guess, criticize, and doubt every step we take towards our goals and ambitions. I too know exactly what this feels like and is why I wrote a whole book on how to transcend self-doubt and make peace with our inner critic.

5 Steps to Success

So what do you do in the moment you start to hear the critical, judgmental soundtrack in your mind kicking in?

1. Recognize that this is just a part of your human experience. It’s not who you are in totality. Take a deep breath and a moment to acknowledge that there is a reason you are feeling self-doubt. It may be coming from trauma, societal conditioning, or times in your life that you didn’t measure up and internalized that experience. But the truth is whatever is causing you to feel self-doubt doesn’t have to stop you from fulfilling your heart’s desires and achieving your dreams.

2. Take a moment to reconnect to times in your life and your business when things have gone well. Instead of listening to this critical, judgmental, diminishing voice and allowing it to run the show and determine what is possible for you, don’t allow it to run wild and become the director of your day or your life. Instead, focus on the times when your actions did produce amazing results and affirm for yourself that you can do it again.

3. Reconnect to your vision and the reason you feel inspired and compelled to build your business and share your unique contribution with the world. As you connect with your vision, feel the energy that both fuels you and reminds you why you want to and need to do this.

5. Fill yourself up with love and encouragement. Instead of making yourself feel bad for feeling self-doubt, have a conversation with yourself and be compassionate. Envision yourself as a frightened little girl and start comforting your inner child. It may sound something like, “It’s OK. I’m here. You are safe. I know there is a reason you are feeling self-doubt right now. But you can absolutely do this and I believe in you. There are many times in your life when you have done amazing things and today will be another remarkable day.”
6. Spend time every day connecting to your strength, courage, power, uniqueness, and the knowing that you can create everything you desire. Listening to these five audio meditations can support you in doing this: www.dianealtomare.com/selflove

Conclusion

Bottom line? Don’t let the part of you that doesn’t feel good enough determine your fate. Recognition, awareness, and making peace with your inner critic is the key to keeping these negative thoughts from taking you on a train to nowhere so you can stay on track and continue to take actions that are aligned with the fulfillment of your vision.

Ready to make peace with your inner critic and take your self-confidence to the next level? Read chapter one of my new book, More Than Enough: a guide to calm your inner critic, reclaim your confidence, and savor the journey back to your greatest self:  https://dianealtomare.com/excerpt/