Writing. Speaking. Teaching. Hustling. What do these things all have in common? They all require one important thing. Yes, technically ‘people’ is one of them but lets get more creative here. All of these activities require self-confidence.
Without self-confidence, you won’t have the guts to do what you need to do and do it with excellence. Moreover, people won’t believe you when you do.
Sadly, there are confidence killers lurking around where creative types live and breathe. These confidence killers are waiting to suck your blood and your execution. You’ve heard of them before. They are that infamous gang of hoodlums made up of the typical characters: ‘inadequacy’, ‘doubt’, ‘fear’ and ‘procrastination.’
What Are Confidence Killers?
Inadequacy is when the writer doesn’t feel like they have anything important to contribute. The speaker feels they don’t have any powerful information to convey. The teacher feels like he is not a master teacher and hasn’t mastered anything. The hustler doesn’t feel like she has good enough ideas to offer to the world.
People who feel inadequate ask the question, “What do I have to give?” Their response to this question is always, “Nothing!”
Doubt will make you feel that you are not good enough. The speaker doubts that they are really a good communicator. The writer doubts that they are a good writer. They even think deep inside that they will never be a good writer or until they are a perfect writer, it’s fine for them to sit on the sidelines.
Doubters ask the question “Am I good enough?” Their response to this question is always, “No!”
Fear is being worried about what will happen as a result of producing or communicating ideas. When a speaker is full of fear they are afraid that the audience will think they are dumb or that they will not buy into what they are saying. The fearful writer will think that everyone hates her work and that everyone will criticize it.
As a result, they are afraid to release it into the public domain for fear of a negative response. A fearful entrepreneur will be afraid to take the steps necessary to take their product to launch. Fearful folks ask the question, “Will they like it?” Their response to this question is always, “No!”
Lastly, there is procrastination. How is procrastination a confidence killer? Well procrastination makes you think “I can’t do it, so I won’t even start.” When procrastination creeps up on you, you will not willingly admit the first part. You will just give excuses for why you cannot or will not start today.
But behind that refusal to execute are those confidence killing hoodlums destroying your mind and your confidence. The teacher procrastinates about creating his own e-course. He promises to do it next year. But he is only saying this because he is afraid to admit that he doesn’t think he can really do it at all.
Procrastinators ask the question, “When will I be ready?” Their response to this question is always, “Never!”
Four Ways To Defeat Confidence Killers
So how can we defeat these confidence killers and finally execute as teachers, writers, speakers, and entrepreneurs?
Firstly, recognize that you are not inadequate. The fact that everyone has a different set of fingerprints and DNA is evidence that we are all different. And since no one has walked in your shoes, then that also shows that you are so different that you have something unique to say. So tell inadequacy to beat it!
Secondly, no one will ever be perfect. Novelist Toni Morrison thinks that her Pulitzer Prize winning novel will benefit from a re-write. That’s crazy to me. We are human. Mistakes will be made. We have lots to improve on but that doesn’t mean we are not good enough.
Thirdly, develop thick skin. I know this may sound insensitive but haters are going to hate. Those who do not hate your work may not tell you what you want to hear but they may give you constructive criticism that will help you get better. Never take this as a negative response.
Plus, remember that there are usually more people who like your work who are silent than those who hate your work but are loud. Recognize the difference between trolls and supporters. Only one of them is your true audience.
Lastly, you get better by doing. As long as you procrastinate you will continue to be filled with doubt, fear, and inadequacy. Speakers speak. Writers write. The more you do it, the more you feel like you are and the more self-confident you become.
Get to work! There will be no Muhammad Ali (who was the greatest) without self-confidence. The man we know as Michael Jordan will not be a champion and hall-of-famer without self-confidence. Self-confidence makes us all winners even when we fail.
Answering yourself with “No”, “Never”, and “Nothing” will have you sitting on the sidelines for the rest of your life. Victory is near. Impacts are waiting to be made. But you got to believe in yourself first before your audience ever will.
HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT DEFEATING SELF-CONFIDENCE KILLERS?
LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
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