Erlina Sidik - Leadership Coach, Trainer and Facilitator

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7 Signs Self Doubt is Undermining Your Goals and Happiness

Simon Middleton

This week I shared about ikigai and the pursuit of purposeful work and living. Most people want a meaningful career and life, but we often let self doubt get in the way of achieving them. 

The occasional self-doubt is normal and can be a motivator for self-improvement. However, too much self doubt erodes our confidence and inhibits our growth.

How do you know if self doubt is undermining your goals and happiness? 

Here are the signs:

#1 Negative Self-Talk: Constantly criticizing and doubting oneself through internal dialogue like "I'm not good enough" or "I can't do this."

#2 Perfectionism: Setting unrealistically high standards for oneself and feeling like anything less than perfect is a failure.

#3 Fear of Failure: An intense fear of making mistakes or failing, which can lead to avoidance of challenging situations would require stepping out of your comfort zone and taking risks.

#4 Comparing Yourself to Others: Constantly measuring your own abilities and achievements against those of others, often leading to feelings of inadequacy.

#5 Procrastination: Putting off tasks or decisions due to self-doubt and fear of not doing them perfectly.

#6 Difficulty Accepting Praise: Finding it hard to accept compliments or recognition for your accomplishments, often attributing them to luck or downplaying them.

#7 Imposter Syndrome: Believing that your achievements are a result of luck rather than your own competence, and feeling like a fraud in your role or position.

How do we overcome self doubt?

Self doubt is an emotion that protects us from failure and the only way we can overcome it is to become your own biggest cheerleader and focus on building success. Celebrate every win and motivate yourself when you feel down. Confidence and resilience builds when we have trust in our abilities to navigate the challenges that come our way. 

USEFUL RESOURCES