You’ve probably heard the cliché that the only one standing in the way of what you want to achieve is you. And while there’s truth to the power of positive thinking, there’s also that nagging inner critic to contend with. Many of us are painfully aware of our shortcomings, but dwelling on them takes a toll on our self-esteem.
So how can we convince ourselves that we’ve got what it takes to reach our goals?
Document Everything
The first step to building up self-confidence is to have tangible proof to defend yourself against gloomy feelings. Keep a record of your efforts and make it easy to refer to it at a moment’s notice.
If you're working toward a defined goal such as running a marathon or losing weight, tracking physical activity, daily steps, and healthy meal choices offers you reliable protection against the toughest tangles with doubt.
Be Actively Positive
Like anything worth doing, becoming an optimist takes hard work. But it gets easier with time. When your inner critic starts pointing out everything wrong with what you’re trying to accomplish, don’t stress. Rather, find a solution.
Most entrepreneurs constantly get turned down, yet they continue to forge ahead with their business ideas. Take a tip from the startup playbook and retrain your thinking. Call yourself out on pessimistic reactions, look for silver linings, and do your best to keep company with those who genuinely want you to succeed.
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
In our age of social media, it’s pretty difficult to avoid feeling down about ourselves when our Instagram feeds are filled with shots of people showing off their best lives. We all know someone online who always appears to be beyond thrilled with their situation. Checking those timelines can not only cause us to feel depressed and uncontrollably jealous, but it also undermines our ability to focus on ourselves constructively. It should go without saying, but measuring your progress against people IRL won’t do you any favors either.
Life is a series of tests. While we can’t expect to ace them all, it’s crucial to continue onward and learn from our mistakes. Investing the time and energy strengthening your self-esteem makes it progressively easier to take on challenges when that voice inside your head tries to take you on an unexpected turn to Negative Town.
