Start your Business now and overcome self-doubt
Don’t let Self-doubt hinder You from starting a Business
Do you suffer from impostor syndrome, negative self-talk and self-doubt, and anxiety over trying something new?
Well, this may just be the episode for you.
Stick around, and we will dive into how you may be letting self-doubt keep you from putting yourself out there and starting a business, and what you can do to overcome, and how a side hustle may be the solution to your problem.
I’m going to do a series on the issues that keep people from starting a business.
I think a lot of people have wonderful ideas. They’re brilliant and have the capacity to own a business or a side hustle, but they’re stopped from doing it.
I wanted to dive into why this next episode is going to be on overcoming self-doubt.
Starting a business isn’t easy. Starting a side hustle is a bit easier because it’s like running a mini-business. You don’t really have to go all-in, and usually, you can quit at any time. Many people have million-dollar ideas, and they never make it to the paper.
They never make it on paper because they’re letting negative self-talk and self-doubt and worrying about others keep them from achieving their greatness. Both of these ailments, self-doubt, and fear, stemming from a lack or low self-esteem, whether we want to admit it or not.
You have to believe that you are incredible beyond measure. You can honestly do anything you put your mind to.
Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant, Oprah Winfrey, Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs are not superhumans and are not superiorly intelligent, believe it. They were met with opportunity and in the right place at the right time. They took a chance. They worked hard, and they achieved unimaginable greatness.
On this day of self-determination, you need to figure out how you can achieve your greatness and stop worrying about what everyone else is doing. Stop worrying about the pack. You can become successful too, and I’m not just talking about millionaires and billionaires because I hate when people compare the ordinary man to someone who’s achieved that much well.
So let’s think about the person that owns the company you worked for. Let’s think about your boss. Let’s think about the last friend, relative, or associate you know who started a business. They put themselves out there, and they did it. Why can’t you? With hard work and dedication and improving yourself, and investing in yourself one percent a day, you can achieve exponential and phenomenal greatness.
These next 7 steps will help you conquer your issues with self-doubt and overcome low self-esteem.
1. Fuck what they think.
The very first one is a doozy, and I think you’ll like it. My first recommendation to overcome self-doubt is F* what they think.
You all sit around here and warn about what someone thinks about you, someone that’s probably insignificant to your daily life. What people think about you is none of your business. It’s not any of your business, Katt Williams said it best, self-esteem is how you feel and carry yourself.
You can’t let someone’s projection of you affect how you do, what you do. People like to know that they’ve affected you, and if that means they’ve negatively affected you, then so be it, don’t let others thoughts of you keep you from reaching your greatness.
2. Live consciously.
The second action that I recommend to overcome self-doubt is to live consciously.
Don’t get caught up in Groundhog’s Day, and for those of you that are too young to understand that expression, Groundhog’s Day was a movie that came out in the late 80s. It’s about a guy who wakes up, and he keeps living the exact same day over, and over, and over again, and has to break the cycle.
A lot of us get up, brush our teeth, take a shower, drink our coffee, eat our breakfast on the way to work, drive to work, mindless the whole time, come home, sit down, watch TV, eat dinner, go to bed, and throughout that day you didn’t do anything different. You didn’t try anything new. You didn’t experience any new sensations.
You have to break that cycle. Live each day with intention. Set your intention for the day and try something new. Listen to audiobooks to podcasts, to me. Invigorate your mind, your spirit and live consciously. Be thankful. and show gratitude. Make a plan, stick to that plan, adjust the plan, and go forth, go forward, fail forward.
3. Don't focus on gravity problems.
The third action you can take to overcome self-doubt is don’t focus on gravity problems.
A gravity problem is a real problem that’s like going outside of your house and saying, “Man, gravity is really kicking my butt today. I feel so heavy.” Why would you complain about gravity? It’s there. It’s not changing. Don’t complain about that. That’s a reality, accept it, and change the things that you can change.
You can’t change how skinny your hands are, or how long your fingers are, or how curly your hair is, or how big it gets in the humidity. Those are gravity problems, but you can change your knowledge. How much education you have. How you better yourself. The actions you take to improve those things are not gravity problems, which you should focus on.
4. Take responsibility.
The fourth action you can take to overcome self-doubt and low self-esteem is to take responsibility. If you mess up, fess up. There are things we can, something we can’t change. We need to focus on the things we can change.
People like to complain about how much money they have, but I know several people who have made no more than $50,000 a year, and they’re millionaires. You know why? Because they saved their money and invested wisely.
It’s not how much money you make. It’s how much money you save. Stop upgrading your life every time you get a promotion or a raise because you still have the same amount of expendable income. Plan your future. Take responsibility and overcome.
Our eating habits. Eat food that makes you feel good, not food that necessarily tastes good. How many of you eat something that tastes good and makes you feel crappy later on? Stop doing that to yourself. Take responsibility for your whole self, your whole being, and you’ll conquer self-doubt.
Because when you feel good, you do good.
5. Be authentic.
The fifth recommendation I have is to be authentic. Be your authentic self.
Now I’m not saying be yourself to the aggravation or irritation of others. I’m saying don’t let other people sway you and what you think and how you believe. Warren Buffett said it best, “When everyone else is going left, you need to go right” and vice versa.
This also means not projecting your lifestyle, your beliefs, and yourself on to anyone else. Have you ever heard the phrase, “Do you, Boo-boo?” Well, do you and let them do them.
6. Live with purpose.
The sixth recommendation I have for you in overcoming self-doubt is to live with purpose.
This doesn’t mean you have to know your purpose but live with a purpose. My sister has a saying at the bottom of her email, and it says, “The two most important days in a man’s life; is the day he was born and the day he figures out why.”
Many of us haven’t found our why and that’s okay but keep striving to that discovery. Live your life with character. Have a warrior spirit. Don’t flim-flam to the whims of everyone else around you. Set your own intention and move forward with that purpose.
7. Integrity first.
And the seventh and final action that will help you overcome self-doubt is integrity first.
It’s 1 of the 3 Air Force core values, and it’s one of my favorites. You need to be impeccable with your word. When you say something, everyone around you needs to believe that it is true, and if it changes, you need to own up to that.
If you can’t be impeccable with your word and if you can’t live with integrity, the last thing you need to be doing is starting a business. Your word is your bond.
I know we went over a lot in a short time. I’ve just given you seven actions that you can take to help overcome self-esteem issues, self-doubt, and fear, so that you can start your business or you can accomplish your next goal and you can reach exponential greatness.
Remember, invest in yourself just one percent a day, and you’ll reap phenomenal results at the end of the year.