As we begin the New Year, many people are making plans for the changes that they would like to see in their life this year. Usually, those plans are built off of things that either went wrong or did not go quite as well from the previous year. Already there has been a increasing gym memberships, an increase of dietary products being purchased such as gluten-free foods, people indulging self-help and motivational content, and people attempting to make changes in their social circles.
However, every year seems that a lot of people fall short a couple months into the new year of their desired goals and outcomes. Which often leads to self-doubt.
When things do not go the way that we expected them to go, we find it easiest to blame ourselves internally and externally we often point their fingers at others. However, it internally we are usually doing a self-check it figured out what we did wrong for the situation tonight occur the way that we intended. What we are doing here is protecting our self-concept (our knowledge, assumptions, and feelings about ourselves). This is why understanding self-doubt is important as we set goals for ourselves moving forward.
What is self-doubt?
Self-doubt is a state of uncertainty regarding the truth or reality of any situation. Self-doubt is like a virus of the mind. Once self-doubt infests your thought process it leads to harmful thoughts and feelings. Also, once our self-doubt infests our thoughts and emotions we begin to lie to ourselves. When we lie to ourselves we make ourselves venerable to making destructive choices, developing harmful habits, and keep us stuck. We often have doubt about our personality, physical look, socioeconomic status, relationship status, and our future. Life is filled with unexpected task and challenges that leave us questioning many elements of our life.
Three Tools to Counter Self-Doubt
1. Be honest with yourself: The first and most important tool to have is being honest. It is more important for you to be honest with yourself verse anyone else. If you cannot be completely true to yourself and can not trust anything from anyone else. Keeping it real with you is most important.
2. Take a risk: Taking a risk and getting out of your comfort zone is important because it allows you to gain more experiences. Our ability to expand our understanding and knowledge of the world we live in allows us to grow and expand our understanding of self. Go out and experience new things.
3. Accept the outcomes: Everything is not going to end in a positive or pleasing result. This is a function of life. Sometimes things just suck! This is okay. Sometimes we have to experience something less pleasing to understand what you true want and or need.
In short, your self-concept is important to the projection of your life and others that surround you. Our own personal impact is solely based on us and how we feel.
Self-Doubt will disrupt our happiness and levels of success. Long-term neglect of our self-doubt leads other troubling elements of us such as self-defeating thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Often time we are unaware that we are even experiencing these things as we move through life.
By applying the three tools of being honest with yourself, taking a risk outside of your comfort zone, and accepting the outcomes, you are one step closer to overcoming self-doubt and being a much happier person. In all, it takes action, dedication, and focus. The power is in your hands, heart, and head.