The Secret to Navigating Doubt

Your first instincts are often more correct than your second-guesses. Then why do we doubt ourselves all the time?! I do it too, there’s no shame in it, even if that’s the emotion popping up right now. Bear with me, let’s work through this together. 

You are perceptive, you are wise, and the instincts inside you guide your path. If you’re constantly shoving down the things you think you shouldn’t want, then you’re stifling your ability to feel, to be creative, and to be the real you. 

What do I mean by all of that? Let me give you an example. 

I grew up thinking that I needed to focus on the external, that other people’s opinions, thoughts, and education were superior to my own. That meant every time I had a brilliant idea, I’d get really excited for 30 seconds and then some doubting thought would sneak in and tell me how terrible my idea was. That it would never work, it’d be too much trouble, and that everyone would judge me for it. 

How many brilliant ideas did I ignore? Too many to count and so many that I can’t remember them right now. 

So what do we do about this doubt that creeps in, stopping us in our tracks, causing us to procrastinate, makes excuses, and enables all of our coping mechanisms? 

We welcome doubt in, to a certain extent. If you try to just push your doubt to the side, it will only get louder and its tactics will become more destructive. So instead, acknowledge that it’s there. 

Here’s a conversation you can have with your doubt: 

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Hey doubt, I hear you. I recognize that you want to protect me and keep me alive. Right now, I’m safe, and this idea in my head is an idea I want to explore. It might feel really scary because this is something we’ve never done before. I feel excited and alive when I think about it, so I want to try this. I’ll break it down into small steps so it doesn’t feel too overwhelming and I’ll ask for help along the way for the parts I don’t know how to do already. We’ve got this.

What do you notice as you read that passage above? Was it easy for you to read it or was your doubting voice/inner critic freaking out? All are normal reactions. 

Your brain is an amazing and powerful organ. It keeps you breathing, moving, living, and it has incredible perception skills. As humans we've evolved to show emotion in our faces and we've learned to see the emotional signs in others. 

When you harness your doubt and reframe your thoughts, you open your world to possibility. It might sound cheesy, but that’s when the sky becomes the limit. (or maybe it’s really space is the limit, which is limitless, so the limit doesn’t exist…)

Writing down your thoughts helps you to process and understand on a deeper level. Journaling eliminates confusion and gives you space. Use this week’s journaling prompt to work through your doubt.
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Journaling Prompt: What’s an idea that’s popped in your head that you feel too scared or unqualified to act on?

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