Push through your Self Doubt

 

For time immemorial, whenever i start working on anything new, the first thought that comes to my mind is that whether i can do it or not. Even if i know that i will be able to do it, i am not sure if i can do justice to the task at hand by giving it the best possible result in the end. am i the best available person to perform the job?

I am sure many of you, for innumerable times, must have got involved in a debate with our inner voice which makes you believe that you may not be the most capable person around to handle the goal at hand. So many times, you would have done a mental scan of a list of people who are more qualified, better skilled and appropriately positioned to handle the goal in your hand that it creates self doubt within you whether you can achieve a target successfully or not.

Welcome to the club of self doubters. First thing i must tell you is that "Don't worry !! You are not alone, and this is perfectly normal". There is a battery of success stories which have originated from a self doubting mind. Goldie Hawn pushed through his doubts to become an academy award winner. He says "I always had self doubt. I wasn't good enough. I wasn't smart enough"

One of the strategies to overcome self doubt is called as the "Done It Before Strategy". Imagine the accomplishment or a series of accomplishments that you have achieved in the past. Remember your state of mind when you started those tasks. Did you have self doubt? May be yes. But you got involved in the task, learned new things, did whatever was needed to come out triumphant in the end.

Tiger Woods uses this strategy and has to say this to himself when he goes for a high pressure putt - "I have done this a thousand times earlier. Relax, i can do it one more time"

Self Doubt, to an extent, is a very positive sign. It can also be termed as "healthy insecurity" Frank Gehry, a famous architect says "I approach each project with a new insecurity, as if i am doing this for the first time".

This healthy insecurity causes us to focus on ourselves and our work and pushes us to perform the best every moment and every day of our life. Many successful people have used this self doubt as a tool to learn and perform every time without letting the past laurels to make them complacent about the project in hand. 

One of the leaders whom i personally appreciate in my last organization, used to say "You may have excelled over last 10 projects, but you are as good as the performance in your last project." To continue to perform, you need to get past your previous accomplishments and start afresh. I remember switching different roles in my organization every 1-2 years. Each time, i take up a new role, i start with a self doubt. My train of thoughts typically start with a self doubt, but then turns into a thinking process and then documenting process. I start writing on a blank sheet of paper, whatever i need to do to be successful in this new task. Every day morning starts afresh, with a defined set of tasks and a renewed enthusiasm to become successful in the latest challenge that has been thrown at me. The day goes with its own ups and downs and the next day morning is a fresh start with a fresh set of ideas that keep me going.

Financial Freedom is no different or difficult a challenge. It is definitely achievable but at the same time, the fact remains that only 1% population of the people who make an attempt towards it, ultimately succeed. If you are having self doubt, welecome to the club. But now, you got to think that you have achieved many great things in life and this is also achievable. Rather than relying on your past accomplishments, you have to take this as a fresh challenge and make it happen. This strategy will enable you to learn new things, overcome mistakes, come up with new ideas and strive you towards your goal of financial freedom. 

You can definitely push yourself out of self doubt and achieve the greatest things in life.

Cheers

Manoj Arora