Battling the Thief in Your Mind: How to Overcome Self-Doubt

I thanked her and drove home.  When I got home I realized that there were six doughnuts in the box.  “I only wanted one doughnut”. I thought to myself, “What am I going to do with six doughnuts?  There is no way I’m going to eat six doughnuts.”

So, after I ate the six doughnuts, and somewhere in between the sugar high and sugar crash, I decided to run an extra mile on top 3 miles I usually run on Saturday mornings.  The next day I woke up early and prepared myself for my morning run.  I drove to a nearby lake and began running with the intention of running 4 laps around it.  It was dark, cold, and quiet.  I really did not want to be out there but I made the commitment to run the 4 miles.  It may have been the weather or maybe the six doughnuts from the night before, but I began to feel sluggish.

I began reading running magazines and articles and also began to watch marathon videos on Youtube.  Then, I asked a friend to become my running partner.  She was in great shape and had already run a full marathon more than once.  It was great to have someone who has already been through the process there to remind me that it would get easier.

Seek out things that will feed your confidence instead of your insecurities and fears.  Find books, sermons, lectures, videos, people, and anything else that will engage you in a positive way.  Avoid doubters, negative thinkers, complainers, and anything else that will feed your doubt.  Just like doughnuts and burgers can slow down a runner, the negative things you feed your mind will slow down your ability to achieve your goals.

Confront and Tame the Self-Doubt

You’ve probably heard the saying “admitting it is the first step to recovery”.  This saying was first introduced by Alcoholics Anonymous as a part of their Twelve Step Program.  This same saying is a good place to start if you want to eliminate doubt.

Be honest with yourself about your doubt and what it is doing to you and your goals.  Once you’ve identified the self-doubt you begin to become more empowered to do something about it.  Recognize its presence but do not give it the power to affect you emotionally.

Once you’ve separated yourself emotionally, you can then decide how you want to react to the situation.  For example, if you get nervous every time you speak to someone you’re attracted to; do not give the nervousness power or meaning.  Instead, tame the feeling by recognizing it and then deciding not let it determine your actions.

Make the Impossible Possible

Most of us keep a mental list of things we are unable to do.  You may have told yourself that you are not a social person, aren’t athletic, or perhaps you told yourself that you cannot succeed in a certain profession.

Why do we allow ourselves to believe we are unable to do something just because it seems too difficult or because we were unable to do it in the past?  Perhaps it is because of the amount of work that is required to do that thing.  Or maybe it is because the sting of failing in the past is still fresh in our minds so trying again would just be too painful.  Whatever the reason may be, a great way to build a silence the voice of self-doubt is to resolve to conquer those challenges.

Create a list of things that you think you cannot do.  It can be something you have struggled with for years, or it can be something that you may have never even tried.  Challenge yourself to do just one thing on your list.  Commit to going the extra mile to accomplish that thing to your satisfaction.  You will find that doing the thing you cannot do will minimize doubt and strengthen your belief in yourself.

Keep a Victory Log

Whenever I enter a task or challenge that I think that I cannot get across, I think about what I have accomplished in the past.  A victory log is a place where you write down all of your accomplishments and how you accomplished them.  Whenever the temptation to give up comes around, you can refer to your log to see how you were able to overcome previous obstacles.

I’ve written down many things in my victory log.  I have even gone back to when I was a child and how I was able to learn how to tie my shoe laces. It may seem unnecessary to list something as simple as learning to tie my shoes but I recall the day that I learned how to do it.  I remember how much I wanted to learn and how good it felt when I finally got it. Remembering how good it felt helps me to persist towards my current goals and I think about how good it is going to feel when I accomplish them.

By keeping a victory log you will have written proof of how strong and capable you really are.  With every page that you turn, you may see that you have what it takes to conquer the new challenges.

We all have the ability to do amazing things if we are able to get out of our own way.  By silencing the voice of doubt, finding ways around obstacles, doing what is impossible to us, and staying focused you can have an unmovable mindset.

Do you hear the voice of doubt? How do you battle it?  Let us know in the comment section. Or start your victory log by telling us how you overcame doubt.