I remember watching his Daily Affirmation comedy sketch as a 13 year old girl and thinking OMG that guy is a dork. Now, many years later, I still think this guy is a dork, but I also think he may be on to something.
There are moments in every person’s life when they struggle with self doubt and lack confidence. Every time I lead a new project or faced a new problem/decision I had to fight through self doubt. My mind began to flood with thoughts like: Is this the correct decision? What will the haters say? What will happen if this is wrong? Will I cost the company hundreds or thousands of dollars? Will I get written up? Will I get fired? Will I cost the company revenue? Will it hurt the reputation of the company? Will it hurt the reputation of the marketing department? My thoughts went on and on, and eventually, I was able to squash the self doubt by doing the following:
- Identify your strengths and weaknesses
- We all have strengths and weaknesses, and it is those weaknesses that tear at our confidence the most. Identify your weaknesses and work on improving them. Every time you grow and overcome a weakness, your confidence will grow, too. However, remember, to integrate your strengths into everything you do. Using your strengths naturally boosts your self confidence, and it will also keep you energized as you are working toward self improvement.
- Remember your successes
- As humans we have this crazy ability to focus on the negative and ignore the positive. However, we are the culmination of both our successes and failures. When you are facing something new, remember all of the great work and judgments you have had in the past. When I self doubt I think of three specific successes that were particularly hard, and I remind myself that I managed those projects and situations successfully. If I could come out of those projects or situations with great success, then I can do anything. However, when I can’t take my own word, I let others speak for me. Every time someone sent me an email or card congratulating me on a job well done, I keep them for this type of occasion.
- Stuart Smalley was right
- Hard work and experience help dull the noise of self doubt; however, nothing quiets it more than positive self talk. Stop, take a deep breath and take inventory of the situation. Then remind yourself that you are a successful, experienced professional and you can do it.
I was able to squash the self doubt, but not totally kill it. I am extremely confident in my decision making, experience, knowledge and talent. However, I am only human and there are moments when a desire for perfection can get the best of me and make me question myself. When this occurs, I remind myself of my successes and strengths and move forward, because as Stuart Smalley said…
I’m good enough
I’m smart enough
And, doggone it, people like me
No comments:
Post a Comment