Have you ever doubted whether you can reach your dreams? Did you always feel that achieving your goals are a long way off? Are you unsure, insecure, unconfident and self-doubting yourself? If you are, you need to stop doing that. Self-doubt can destroy any dream. It is essential that you feel confident that you can reach your desires, dreams and goals and go after them. Remember that you and only you can make them come true. Only you can stop the doubts that reside inside you.

The key to getting your desires, dreams and goals to become a reality is to believe in yourself and your abilities. Reminds me of Rene Descartes, a French philosopher, a man who is credited to these few words – “I think, therefore I am.”

Here are 4 ways that have proven to eliminate self-doubt. These strategies have been derived from studying successful people and what is it that makes them what they are today:

Learn to recognize self-doubt and negative self-talk

First things first, self-doubts and negative self-talks are absolutely normal. They happen to everyone. They occur even to the most successful people. The key, however, lies in recognizing them and dealing with them. Even an iota of self-doubt, if not recognized and remedied can totally paralyze you and stop you from going after your dreams. It can creep in slowly and destroy you. You may not even notice it and how much it’s hurting your dreams. So whenever there is self-doubt or a negative self-talk running inside your mind, take cognizance of it. John Assaraf, one of the leading behavioral and mindset experts in the world and the founder of NeuroGym puts this across quite aptly, “Your biggest growth will come from overcoming your moments of greatest resistance and negative self-talks.” So don’t resist these thoughts or moments. You can’t. Instead, whenever these thoughts come by, recognize them and consciously put them aside.

Avoid letting your struggles get on top of you

Struggles, obstacles, challenges and road-blocks are a natural part of the journey to your dreams. If you let them have it their way, they can cause you to completely give up and walk away from your dreams – if you let them! They can increase your doubts about yourself and your abilities. Rather than pretending that these issues don’t exist or that you can avoid them, face them head on. Yes, there will be fear – The fear of the unknown, the fear of losing out, the fear of going beyond your comfort zone. But what is this fear? Is it for real? In my book, The Winning You, I talk about this fear, although in a different context. Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. So, instead of being subsumed by your fears, know that they aren’t real. Know that you can find a solution and continue moving forward towards your dreams and goals. It might be a different path altogether than the one you initially started on, but consider that it might be even better too.

Recognize your excuses

We have all grown up making excuses. Remember all the age and size excuses you liked to use as a kid – “I’m not old enough to read that book yet.” or “I’m too small to help clean up.” We were all undisputed champions of excuses. While that was probably alright while growing up as a kid, the question to ask yourself now is “Are my excuses still holding me back?” Are you still telling yourself that you are not worthy of your dreams or that they are foolish?
That is sadly the reality with most of us. If you don’t believe in yourself, then you can create any number of excuses to stop going after your dreams. Doubt can make you stay in a comfortable place that isn’t fulfilling. Recognize that you’re using these reasons for excuses. Recognize that your excuses are holding you back. Be committed to your growth.

Act with confidence

Even if you’re scared to step forward, it’s important to act with confidence. The old cliché of “faking it till you make it” can apply here. You must go after your dreams with passion and confidence even when you’re scared and uncertain. Create daily habits or rituals that help you act with confidence. Schedule solitude once a day – It’s not about being lonely, it’s about spending time with yourself. Focus forward on designing your future rather than holding on to your negative past. Eliminate mediocrity from your thinking and start acting with confidence. Shift your mindset from a one looking to survive to the one seeking opportunities. Practice by doing things that take a little (not a lot of) courage. Not only will you get some things done, you’ll also build more self-esteem and become more self-assured. Remember, you are the author of your life story.
How would you want the future generations to read your story?