16 Ways to Deal with Self-Doubt

Step into your role as a guide for your clients – WITH CONFIDENCE! 

DEBBIE DOWNER

Let’s imagine self-doubt is that ‘80s character from the Saturday Night Live sketches, Debbie Downer. Debbie Downer always seems to spin every situation into a negative one, and nobody really wants to be around her. If you allow self-doubt into your life, it’s almost like you’re allowing Debbie Downer to hang out with you, which let’s be serious, isn’t much fun.

Can you imagine bringing Debbie Downer to a business meeting or having her help you with your sales? It would be a horrible experience and that vibe would negatively affect your results.

The idea is to treat self-doubt like Debbie Downer. Make friends with her. Half the battle is just acknowledging that self-doubt (Debbie Downer) is going to be here, whether you acknowledge her or not, and having a plan to deal with her is half the battle.

ENTER MY 16 WAYS TO DEAL WITH SELF-DOUBT

#1. ANTICIPATION

It’s no surprise that self-doubt is going to show up when you least expect her to. There are always warning signs to announce her arrival such as the irritation you experience when you’re tired, overworked, hungry, or emotional. You can’t control when she pops in to keep you company, but what you can do is keep a lookout and remember to check in with yourself by asking ‘how am I feeling?’. By acknowledging that she is coming, you can be ready.

#2. PREPARATION

Prepare for self-doubt just like you would prepare for a guest coming to visit your house. You might tidy up, get a new haircut, or maybe rearrange a few things. You may also say you’re too busy right now to accept any house guests and instead change the direction of your day.

#3. KNOW WHEN SHE’S ARRIVED

When self-doubt shows up, she’s often disguised and undercover, taking on the form of procrastination, exhaustion, overwhelm, or indecision.  Maybe you’ll feel scattered; at least, that’s how self-doubt shows up for me.

Tune into her arrival. Knowing how self-doubt shows up for you, and what the warning signs are that she’s already arrived, can be different for everybody, but crucial to know.

Signs may include:

• Saying ‘Yes’ a lot when you should say ‘no’.
• Over-delivering in your business by going above and beyond what you normally do.
• Over-delivering with your family and being in pleaser mode.

Awareness will help you stop self-doubt in her tracks if you’re tuning in.

#5. MEET YOUR FRIEND DEBBIE DOWNER

When you treat self-doubt like a friend, you’re actually setting your boundaries. This is what I find so empowering about the decision to be an entrepreneur; we can make decisions and can change things in our business overnight. We can decide whether to work with someone or not. We have the power, if we stand up to self-doubt and gain confidence.

#6.  MAKE A DECISION

You can choose to nurture yourself and decide whether you want to sit with self-doubt or end the visit right there. She may show up when you least expect her to, and maybe you can’t control that, but what you can control is whether to stay in the mode of self-doubt or to do something different.

You are your own champion.

Get yourself to safer ground and get away from self-doubt by instead practicing self-love.

#7. FEEL THE FEAR

Self-doubt is actually a really good thing to feel in business.

For a long time, I avoided feeling fear and the things that pop up when you’re an entrepreneur because I believed it could drag me down.

The key is not to eliminate fear entirely but to sit with the feeling, even if it’s just 15 minutes a day.

Think to yourself, “Okay, self-doubt, I’m here, I’m feeling you. I’m experiencing you, but you can only stay around for about 15 minutes, and then I’m done with you.” Then, move on to better things.

#8. SLEEP

Another way that I deal with self-doubt is by having a sleep routine and some non-negotiables about what that routine looks like. Sometimes a lack of sleep can’t be avoided like if you have a child or obligations keeping you up at night, but scheduling a nap can make a world of difference. Make room for recovery in your schedule.

#9. ACT AS IF…

As a solopreneur, this expression really drove me crazy because I never really got it. What am I supposed to act as if?

The answer: Act as if you’re making potentially a million dollars.

Ask yourself this question: Would this person who is making a million dollars really tolerate self-doubt lingering around, sabotaging everything around her? No. A security guard would’ve grabbed her at the front door and escorted her from the premises. A million-dollar business owner would not have the time or the patience, and that’s both a choice and a decision.

I bring this technique into my business for a few minutes each day.

For example, when I show up for a Live, I take a minute to close my eyes and imagine myself performing and speaking in front of everyone, spreading my message and positive energy while holding space for others. To do this effectively, self-doubt cannot exist while visualizing because it would defeat the purpose.

#12. WRITE IT DOWN AND RELEASE IT

Journaling was also something I did to improve my competitive cycling. Today journaling allows me to apply logic to my dreams and sort it out on paper. Ultimately, self-doubt can’t enter this journal; it’s almost like an unwritten rule because it is a safe place strictly for my treasured belongings and expression.

I have a separate journal for when self-doubt shows up where I can voice my fears and get them out of my head and onto paper before moving on.

#13. WORK WITH IT

I’ve worked with a couple of people and past mentors that spoke about evidence folders and I have two. One is digital filled with screenshots of testimonials, good things that people have said to me, thank you’s, results, gratitude and praise. The other is a folder for email messages of the same kind. These folders help to keep my self-doubt in check and when she pops up, allow me to mentally say, “Wait a second, your self-doubt really doesn’t make sense. You’re rocking it here.”

#14. TAP INTO YOUR HIGHER PURPOSE

It’s important if you’re meant to serve people in a bigger way, to think about and focus on that.

Tap into that person and ask yourself the following questions:

• Who do I have to be to really impress or inspire people today?
• Who do I have to be to help or make an impact?
• Who is the person who is making that impact?
• How do they act?
• What do they do?
• What do they think?
• Am I living in my highest purpose?
• Am I performing at that level?
• Who do I have to be right now?

If you want to be someone who helps others, odds are you can’t be that person while wallowing in self-doubt, because I won’t be making an impact.

#15. STAND UP TO SELF-DOUBT

Challenge self-doubt by proving her wrong and take action. Get clear on the outcome you want to create and create it.

Boom. Nothing else. That’s literally it.

The fastest way to deal with self-doubt is to take action.

#16. GET ANGRY

Speaking of action, it’s funny how, when I get fired up with emotion like anger or desire, these emotions can’t exist at the same time as self-doubt. It’s a surefire way for me to toughen up, put my head down and let go of that distraction.

There you have it. By identifying the things that happen on a regular basis that bring about self-doubt you’re better able to plan, manage and create a thriving business despite the presence of self-doubt. 

For more tips like these and ways to keep the energy positive when it comes to your content, your sales funnel and how you show up online, check out my two groups, the Confident Content Creator community and the Launch Mode Community.