The Secret Signs of Self Doubt & How to Stop the Destructive Habits
Self doubt’s a sneaky little snake, isn’t it?
You find yourself struggling to get anything done, failing to find your mojo and feeling like you’re just not doing a good enough job.
I’ll let you in on a little secret: Self doubt is the biggest thing that’s held me back (+ still does sometimes) in my biz.
I can have the clarity, the strategy, the step by step plan, the motivation + all the excitement in the world for what I’m doing but the second there’s a hint of doubt in the air, game over.
I’ll admit, it’s not easy to spot.
There’ve been times where I’ve been stuck in overwhelm, procrasti-scrolling for weeks at a time and then not understanding why I haven’t been achieving the success I want.
When I’ve dug deeper, the same answer has always come up: I’m doubting myself.
Each time I felt like I’d conquered self doubt, I was faced with a challenge. A test.
New level, new devil as they say.
With each challenge I started to notice a pattern arising.
It took me a while to realise these were traits of self doubt but when I did, I knew it was down to me to quit these behaviours and get back on track.
Here are the secret signs of self doubt and how you can overcome them:
Comparisonitis
Instead of logging into Insta to engage with your community + post valuable content, you open it up and begin scrolling through your feed of ‘perfect’ entrepreneurs who are making all the money, signing all the clients and achieving all the things you want to achieve. Before you know it, it’s been an hour and now you’re feeling like you’re not good enough, wondering whether this #laptoplifestyle is for you after all.
Quit the comparisonitis
Unfollow anyone who doesn’t make you feel good. If you really want to keep following them, hit the silence button so you don’t see their stuff in your feed.
Procrasti-deciding
You have a decision (or 5) you need to make but you can’t. You go back and forth, thinking of the pros and cons, trying to picture the two different outcomes. You procrastinate when it comes to decision time and the longer you put it off, the more stressful it becomes. The secret self doubt is making you question yourself + your ability to make a decision.
Quit the procrasti-deciding
Before making your decision, get yourself into a high vibe. Dance around, repeat affirmations, journal as your best self - make the decision as the best, next level you.
Avoidance
You know those tasks on your to do list that you keep moving to tomorrow? You’re avoiding them because you doubt your ability to complete them. Pretending they don’t exist for the day might make you feel better in the moment but tomorrow, you’ll start the day feeling guilty about not getting it done the day before.
Quit the avoidance
Ask yourself ‘why am I avoiding this?’. Once you know the answer, take action to flip the script and get it done.
Ignoring
I’m the worst for this. You see the little notification of a message from someone you’ve been chatting too re: your services but instead of continuing the conversation straight away, you ignore them for a few days, a week, maybe even a month. You know they want to work with you but you’re scared you’ll somehow manage to fuck up so you subconsciously put them off (by ignoring them #rude).
Quit the ignoring
Set yourself a timer for 10 minutes and respond to all your messages. Do this once or twice a day to keep on top of relationships. Again, get into a high vibe before you do so.
Perfectionism
Hi, I’m Rebecca and I’m a recovering perfectionist. Trying to get everything perfect means you doubt that anyone could like you just as you are - you’re not enough. But the truth is, you’re wasting time on perfect when you could be taking action. Be messy, be unpolished, be yourself.
Quit the perfectionism
The next time you find yourself editing that graphic, rewriting that post, faffing around with your landing page, stop. Tell yourself this is version 1.0 and just get it out there.
Now be honest with me, which one of these is your secret sign that self doubt’s got you in its trap? You don’t have to air your laundry in public, come tell me in my Insta DMs and let’s talk about how we’re gonna get you believing in yourself again.