Do You Suffer From Self-Doubt?
February 5, 2020
“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” Sylvia Plath
As an aspiring author, having finished my first novel and entering the world of agents and publishers, I’m swamped with self-doubt. Is my book good enough? Will anyone like it? Can I write book 2 and then book 3? I slide down a rabbit hole of “what ifs” where honestly, I’d rather have tea with the Mad Hatter than linger in my own mind. Can you relate?
So, what do you do when self-doubt attacks? This could be artistically, relationally, in sports, or even starting a new career – anything that might require risk and confidence. I’m not an expert at all in this area, but here are five quick tips to ponder.
- Think about what you’re thinking about. Many times I find myself marinating in a thought that provides no benefit. Instead, I try to take any negative thoughts captive and replace them with positive ones.
-
Bring the doubts to the light. Sometimes simply talking to someone will bolster your confidence and/or your resolve. Find people who know you and that you trust to speak the truth in love.
- Don’t compare. In one of my posts, I quote Theodore Roosevelt who said, “Comparison in the thief of joy.” Comparing ourselves to someone else will leave us empty.
- Failure doesn’t define you. I love this quote by Denis Waitley. “Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.”
- Keep learning and sharpening your skills, for the more we learn, the more our confidence can grow.
This year, when self-doubt’s spindly fingers try to seize you, push back and tackle it head-on. And whatever you do, don’t quit.
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
