The Main Reason You're Doubting Yourself As An Entrepreneur and What to Do About Ita
Doubt doesn't discriminate between novice entrepreneurs and those at the helm of multi-million dollar ventures. It's a potent emotion aimed at halting your progress.
For entrepreneurs, encountering doubt is almost inevitable, but how you choose to handle it – either by learning to manage it or succumbing to it – can define your journey.
Common strategies to tackle doubt often involve pushing through it, boosting confidence, or coming to terms with potential failure. While these tactics are beneficial, they don't address doubt's root cause. They merely treat the symptoms, and without addressing the underlying issue, a true resolution remains elusive.
In my years of coaching and studying personal and professional development, I've come to believe that doubt primarily stems from a disconnect between your vision and your current reality. This gap, whether conceptual or tangible, highlights unmet expectations.
Picture standing at the edge of a cliff, facing a vast canyon that leads to a towering mountain. This chasm and the distance to the mountain represent your doubt – the obstacle you must overcome to reach your goals.
Factors that emphasize the journey's length or difficulty can intensify doubt. This includes setbacks that hinder your progress (like an injury or professional hurdle), confusion about reaching your goal (lack of clarity), or negative comparisons, such as witnessing others fail or envying those who have succeeded.
Entrepreneurs grappling with doubt often fixate on the mountain's peak and the daunting gap, struggling to accept their current position and the path ahead.
Doubt flourishes due to unmet expectations and can worsen for several reasons:
Unclear personal and professional goals, including the reasons behind these goals and the strategies to achieve them.
Negative comparisons with others' successes or failures.
Self-doubt about your capabilities (stemming from a lack of confidence or fear of failure).
Various setbacks, whether personal or professional (like injuries, prioritization issues, or resource scarcity).
Addressing doubt requires shifting your perspective. If unmet expectations fuel doubt, reevaluating your expectations is key. Entrepreneurs can mitigate doubt by:
Shifting focus away from the gap or the peak, and concentrating on your current position.
Making your goals more approachable by breaking them down into manageable tasks and setting achievable milestones.
Celebrating your progress, acknowledging the distance you've already covered.
Preparing for the journey with necessary skills, tools, and relationships.
Avoiding comparisons with others, as their journey is distinct from yours.
Understanding that your goals may evolve as you progress; success is a moving target.
Keeping your core motivations in clear view – remember why you set these goals and the value they bring.
Growth involves setting goals and working towards them, but it shouldn't be marred by constant dissatisfaction with the present. Yearning to be elsewhere breeds doubt, which in turn hinders progress – the very opposite of your objectives.
As an entrepreneur, if you're always measuring yourself against where you want to be, you'll perpetually doubt your current position. When doubt creeps in, envision yourself at that cliff's edge, facing a distant mountain. You have the choice to let doubt paralyze you or to chart your course, pack some essentials, invite companions, and embrace the journey ahead.
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