How to Overcome Self-Doubt and Not Feeling Good Enough

We’re all prone to self-doubt, and we face times when we ask ourselves if we’re good enough. These five steps will help you overcome self-doubt by managing the negative thoughts that cause you to doubt yourself. (Estimated reading time: 6 minutes)

At some point in our lives, every one of us has asked ourselves some version of the question, “Am I good enough?”

We may have allowed the weight of self-doubt to influence how we judge ourselves and the choices that we make in life. This insidious feeling of inadequacy diminishes our confidence in our ability to make headway in our careers, relationships and other endeavors that are close to the heart.

It doesn’t help that our minds are masters at fabricating potential worst-case scenarios that stop us before we’ve begun.

No one is immune to spells of uncertainty. It’s just part of the human experience. We’re instinctually driven to respond to potential threats. The same survival mechanism gets triggered today whenever we come across someone smarter, prettier or more virtuous than we are. 

When these primal insecurities aren’t handled with care, it can manifest as crippling self-doubt. The dysfunctional aspect of our inner dialogue has been personified as our inner-critic, saboteur or shadow self – a ruthless entity that invades our minds and undermines our success by reminding us of our weaknesses and downplaying our strengths.

Despite the best of intentions, it can be a challenge to silence the voice in our heads. Self-worth is woven into our psyche based on how we were raised and what we learned while growing up. For this reason, some of us have to work harder than others in dealing with our feelings of inadequacy.

If you grew up with a belittling parent, were bullied or went through trauma, you would have a steeper learning curve than someone who grew up in a loving home where they felt supported, valued and recognized for their achievements, no matter how small.

Chad Helmstetter, author of What to Say When You Talk to Yourself, says that by the time the average person has reached their eighteenth birthday, they have heard the word ‘no’ 148,000 times! This figure pertains to the average positive home. The figure would be much larger for those who weren’t raised in nurturing environments.

Our childhood impressions are stored in our subconscious. According to Bruce Lipton, author of Spontaneous Evolution, 95% of our behavior is dictated by our subconscious mind. Most behavior and daily decisions are automatic, without any consideration on our part.

The ability to overcome self-doubt requires us to pick up on the stream of destructive thoughts and shift it towards something more constructive and self-preserving. Being at the mercy of a debilitating thought processes is not conducive to fulfillment. It degrades the quality of your life experiences.

According to motivational speaker Tony Robbins, a success-driven mindset is one that’s grounded in the knowledge of one’s worth. In other words, you have to believe in yourself, no matter what challenges and obstacles you face. An unwavering faith in your abilities is your passport to a lifetime of positive mental health as you navigate through the trenches of life.

If you’re someone who maintains high standards, constantly raising the bar and trying to achieve more, then maintaining confidence in your abilities is essential. This doesn’t mean that successful people don’t experience periods of self-doubt – they’ve simply become adept at managing and channeling it in a way that serves them.

Brené Brown, an expert on the subject of self-esteem and vulnerability says, “If you’re going to show up and be seen, there’s only one thing – you’ll get your ass kicked.” But that doesn’t mean that we should shy away from our critics. Instead, we need to acknowledge them, and be aware of what they’re going to say and how it might affect us.

There will always be someone who we perceive as better than us, but we should not let it effect our sense of worth. We need to appreciate that we are unique beings with our own unique gifts and that there’s no one like us on the planet and there never will be. 

During my practice as a life coach, I’ve frequently witnessed how self-doubt can wreak havoc in a person’s life and cause them to shut the door on opportunities. But I’ve also seen how just one simple spark of inspiration can be a total game-changer. No matter who you, or how dire your circumstances are, remember that you’re only one decision away from stepping into your magnificence.

Here are five ways to deal with your feelings of insecurity and overcome self-doubt:

1. Come to terms with your fears: Contrary to popular opinion, you first need to give yourself time and space to feel your feelings of inadequacy. Ignoring your emotions and fears is counterproductive because you’re denying yourself the opportunity to work with any unaddressed issues causing your pain. Delving into the sensitive and vulnerable aspects of yourself can be scary, but it will empower you to change your behavior and thought patterns.

Sit with your fears and let them pass through you as you ask yourself reflective questions to get deeper insights into your state of mind. Ask self-directed questions such as, “What is the absolute worst that can happen? What am I afraid of? Why do I doubt myself?”

2. Replace self-criticism with self-love: The negative talk in your head will sabotage any chance of achieving peace and fulfillment in your life and makes it challenging to overcome self-doubt. For this reason it’s crucial that we stay watchful of this aspect of ourselves and monitor it. Pay close attention to the language you use, and the manner in which you talk to yourself – is it uplifting and positive? Or is critical, harsh and demoralizing? The quality and tone of your inner dialogue is completely in your hands. You have the power to replace your inner critic with an inner coach. An inner coach is encouraging and supportive because it originates from a place of self-love and worthiness. 

3. Acknowledge your strengths and success: One of the biggest causes of feelings of inadequacy is not knowing what our talents and capabilities. When we choose to focus on our weaknesses we feel incompetent and undeserving. You can overcome this by creating a list all the things that you love about yourself and what you believe that you’re really good at. Sit with this list, take it all in and really own it with pride. While chasing your goals, make it a point to look at this list and to acknowledge every milestone and accomplishment. If your outcome falls below expectations give yourself credit for trying.

4. Let go of your need for validation and approval: You must develop confidence that’s impervious to the criticism of naysayers. When you crave the validation and approval of others you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. When you’re overly concerned about what everyone else is thinking of you, you inhibit yourself, often preferring to play it safe and not do anything for fear of being judged and criticized. If you want your dreams for the future to see the light of day, then at some point you have to release your attachment to others opinion of you.

5. Focus on making progress: As you accomplish more, so does your self-confidence. When you follow your own truth, you let your subconscious mind know that you value yourself and that you’re committed to meeting your needs. Practices such as goal-setting, repeating affirmations and using vision boards to will help you stay on track. Also, surround yourself with individuals who inspire you.

Feelings of self-doubt are like opposing winds that prevent you from sailing toward your dreams. As the captain of your ship you need to harness these winds so they will push you forward. When you develop implicit belief in yourself, you’ll have the power to adjust your sails with grace and dexterity. You’ll have to power to overcome self-doubt.

All my best on your journey,

Seline

Question for you: Do you have any of your own tips on how to overcome self-doubt that have worked for you?

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