Self-doubt is rampant and you see it particularly in women when they’re launching a business.
That’s what happened with several of my closest entrepreneurial friends when they first started their businesses.
These weren’t fresh-faced first timers to the world of business!
They were engineers, CPAs, MBAs and executives – all of them successful with their fancy degrees collecting regular paychecks. All showing outward signs of success but inward signs were showing a deep longer for more.
When they started their own businesses in areas completely different from their education and experience, their levels of excitement reached epic proportions. And, so did their self-doubt. We’re talking bring-you-to-your-knees type of self-doubt. The kind you don’t write home about!
It was heart breaking to watch but through time, experience, sisterhood and support, they each have overcome the burden of self-doubt to create successful thriving businesses.
When you dive into dark and scary waters of starting your own business feelings of uncertainty will inevitably bubble up.
There are so many unknowns. You’re constantly doing things that push you outside your comfort zone. You’re taking risks on a daily basis. Then there’s mistakes, flops, failure and serious bad decision-making.
You are putting yourself out there in ways you never have in the past. Self-doubt will rise but here are seven ways to conquer it so you can follow your dreams of starting a business.
1 | Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
I cannot stress this enough – ENOUGH ALREADY!
Looking incessantly at your competitor’s websites and Instagram accounts will make you crazy with self-doubt.
Although you tell yourself you are doing competitive analysis (fancy business talk may make it sound better than stalking), you often walk away feeling deflated.
“The most dangerous thing about your competition …is your obsession with them.” – Bernadette Jiwa
2 | Replay Past Successes
Starting and building a business might be new territory but I’m sure you’ve had many successes in past roles and positions.
Draw on those past wins to give yourself a quick shot of positivity. This will help you re-focus on drawing on your proven ability for success.
“Your past success is a foundation into future success.” ― Lailah Gifty Akita
3 | Believe in the Journey
If you have trouble believing in yourself then focus your beliefs on the journey.
You may be traveling an unfamiliar road but many people have taken this unfamiliar path in the past. The road has seen lots of faces. Trust that the journey itself will toughen you up – for the better.
“The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
4 | Stop the Nasty Spiral
As soon as you begin the negative inner chatter, immediately do something to break the cycle before you spiral down a slippery hole of despair.
Jump up from your desk and take a walk. Call a friend and swap Netflix binge recommendations. Play your favorite Taylor Swift song. Quickly jot down ten things you’re grateful for in pink crayon. Often the chatter feeds on itself so the quicker you discharge it the better.
“You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” ― Stephen King
5 | Find Role Models
Utilizing the (real) stories of others can help bolster your confidence. We often look at people who are highly successful and compare ourselves to them. We are only looking at the finished product and not the years of hard work and struggle they went through.
Reading stories, watching YouTube videos or listening to podcast interviews of accomplished business women and really listening and learning from their years of hard work, struggles and wins, you can believe more in your own skills and the journey.
“I think the best role models for women are people who are fruitfully and confidently themselves, who bring light into the world.”― Meryl Streep
6 | Accept Failure and Move on Quickly
We all make mistakes. Most people try very hard to avoid failure out of fear. They fear what failure means and how it will appear to friends and family.
Failure and mistakes are a necessary part of this weird wild game called “entrepreneurship”. In knowing that, make sure you ready yourself for the challenge and be prepared to learn the invaluable and amazing lessons that come from failure.
“Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill
7 | Make a Decision Already
When you are unsure of yourself you often waffle when it comes to making decisions. Every decision feels heavy and you project ‘make-or-break’ scenarios to your choices.
Not every decision you make is going to produce the results you were hoping for but the worst thing you can do is become paralyzed into inaction. Each choice you make is a lesson so make your choices quickly and wisely as you can with the information in front of you.
“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” – Roy Disney
8 | Surround Yourself with Cheerleaders
Many women start businesses from home and sadly in isolation from other people.
Make sure you develop a network of other people who will support you on this crazy journey. In particular, finding other women business owners who genuinely want to support one another is one of the best resources you could ever have.
“I’ve always believed that one woman’s success can only help another woman’s success.” ― Gloria Vanderbilt
Starting a business can be tough yet it can also be the best personal development exercise you will ever undertake.
Take the opportunity to find ways to overcome any insecurities you have, build up your confidence and watch your entire life and business change for the better.
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