CreatorFocus™ is a weekly digital publication that's designed to help digital writers handle the typical creative blocks we all face, like burnout, procrastination, and distraction. It's designed for realistic people who know the rewards of being a creator come with longevity and self-improvement. New editions released frequently.
🔎 When self-doubt creeps in...
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When you choose to build a personal brand or online business, you're inviting self-doubt into your life. As though you didn't have enough self-doubt BEFORE you became an entrepreneur... Now, you've got more than enough to share. Some days, it feels like you're on top of the world... Any challenge or obstacle that comes your way... you're ready to handle it. But other times, there's this voice inside your head that says: "You can't do this, why are you even trying?" Too often, I find myself listening to and believing that voice. I'm actively fighting the battle against self-doubt (you probably are, too). The reality is this: None of us are ready to start the business, grow the family, or run the marathon... But we have to push through doubt so we can end up on the other side. I've made a few observations about self-doubt, and today, I wanted to share a few ideas with you. 🔎 I doubt myself when I compare myself to other people.Social media has made it very easy to compare your low points against other peoples' highlight reels. Nowadays, it's normal to see posts about people landing a new client, achieving a 5-figure month, or hitting a follower milestone. I end up comparing myself to these people and it makes me think I'm doing something wrong... When, in fact, I'm doing lots of things right! I remind myself not to compare my journey to other peoples' journeys. It's counterproductive and won't get me any closer to my goals. But what will get me closer? Keeping my head down, doing the work, and telling myself I'm doing a good job. Also, when I see someone else win, instead of saying to myself "Oh, they've made it, they're better than me..." I congratulate them silently and remind myself I'm a winner in my own right. Comparison is a path that leads to self-doubt. It's best to not go down that road. 🔎 I doubt myself when I engage in negative self-talk.I hate negative self-talk. It has stalled my progress in so many areas. Overcoming negative self-talk is not an easy feat... It's an every day battle. I've often wondered where this tendency of mine comes from... And I've traced it back to insecurities that are rooted in childhood. I don't do therapy — though I know lots of people who get amazing benefits from it. I imagine if I spoke to a therapist about this, they'd tell me that negative self-talk is a learned behavior. And if you learn something, you can unlearn it. Not easy, but possible. I'm making it a point to unlearn negative self-talk. When I find myself talking down to me, I silence that voice... And I remind myself that I'm capable of doing all kinds of great things, as long as I put my best foot forward. We're not meant to be people who talk down to ourselves (or anyone else, for that matter). Rather, we need to develop the habit of uplifting ourselves. 🔎 I have confidence when I CHOOSE to have confidence.That's right... Confidence is a choice. Maybe not the default choice. Maybe not an easy choice. But it's a choice! When I make the choice to be confident, self-doubt seems to fade away. I'm making the decision to be confident in my skills, abilities, and knowledge. I'm capable of doing this because my track record proves I'm skilled, able, and knowledgeable. The truth is, the world around you wants to make your decisions for you. But think about this for a second... When the world makes decisions for you, what ownership do you have? NOTHING! The world makes a decision, and YOU have to live with the consequences. The world doesn't give a damn about you. We need to take take ownership of our decisions instead of allowing society to make decisions for us. The longer you allow other people or institutions to make your decisions, the longer you'll be insecure, doubting yourself at every juncture. HOWEVER... If you tell yourself, "I'm making this decision, and I'm sticking by it because it's what I believe in..." Then you're positioning yourself for self-confidence. Don't be confident in the world around you. Be confident in yourself. tl;dr
Hope you enjoyed this edition of CreatorFocus™! If you did, hit the "reply" button and let me know. See you next week. —Neil |
CreatorFocus™
CreatorFocus™ is a weekly digital publication that's designed to help digital writers handle the typical creative blocks we all face, like burnout, procrastination, and distraction. It's designed for realistic people who know the rewards of being a creator come with longevity and self-improvement. New editions released frequently.
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