Self doubt : How to tackle it and turn it around?

Do you have a big idea that has been brewing in your mind, but you have not felt confident enough to actually go through with it? There something holding you back. That little voice telling you that your idea might not be as brilliant after all!
That, my friend, is “Self-doubt”






It can poke it’s head up in the best of times. You have been working hard on your idea; researching, designing, even making it. And then as you start getting ready to share it, something happens, inside you. A little voice from somewhere starts talking to you. It usually starts with, “But…” And then your thoughts spiral right out of control.
But, is it really that good?
But, will it really work?
But, is it really worth it?
But, am I really capable?
It’s not easy to stop. The butterflies in your stomach start making you queasy and you just feel like giving up altogether.
Today I am going to tell you how to tackle the beast that self-doubt is. Together we will slay it and tame it to make it work for us.



Accept it. It is very essential to sit down and accept that you are having doubts. You might want to just push it away and keep working, but I do not recommend that. The more you push away your doubts, the stronger they get. Denying them will only delay the inevitable and then when it rears it’s head, the time might be the most inconvenient and if you are not strong enough to push through, it might even end up making much more damage. I would suggest taking some time off and acknowledging your doubts. It’s like you are telling your mind, “Hey, I am listening to you”.
Scan them. Scan every doubt you have thoroughly. See if there are any valid ones. If it were a friend of yours in your place and they came to you with these self-doubts, what would you tell them? Put a little distance between yourself and the doubts and look at them to check their validity. Discard aside the ones that are unjustified. If you find yourself questioning your capacity, try to think impartially about it. Are you really unqualified to do it? You do not need a formal education. You need desire and clarity. Do you have it? It helps to go back to your why at such times. Why did you start thinking about it in the first place?
Search solutions. If you were presenting a paper and someone asked you questions at the end would you not take time to defend your ideas? Do the same here. I love writing down my doubts and then kind-of arguing them on the paper. It helps put things in perspective and it also helps me better my product or presentation. Find solutions for each doubt that you have. If I feel that my quilts might not sell if I only use imported fabric to make them, I know it is a valid doubt. It will make them costlier. I can then work out if I can use a combination of Indian and imported fabrics to make them more affordable.
Be prepared. The biggest self-doubt is the fear of failing. Imagine what will happen if you fail. It is not always the worst thing. Even if you fail at what you are doing, there is always something else that you can do. Decide what you will do in case of the worst case scenario. You’ve prepared a bunch of bags to sell online and no one buys them. What can you do? Well, you can always gift them to your friends and family on their birthdays and special occasions. That will save you money and you will get some constructive criticism so that you can find out why it happened. Once you have gone through these steps, you will realize that you are more than ready to go ahead with your idea, without an ounce of self-doubt. There will be hurdles, there will be times when you hear that little voice come back and tell you “I told you so” but now you will be prepared to deal with any situation that arises and make the most of it.

Are you ready to tackle your self-doubts and slay your goals?