How To Conquer Self Doubt
Self-doubt has been one of the major, if not the major hindrances to accomplishments. A lot of us today have successfully shielded themselves from the million and one possibilities that lie in front of them because of self-doubt.

You need to understand that self-doubt is the worst enemy to your creativity, and your uniqueness; it is the reason you chose to stay put, even though you should be soaring, even though you are meant to be a pathfinder or a pacesetter, and not the system, the government or the society.

Here is a fact, if you believe in yourself more than anyone else does, you will not be frantic to gain people’s validation before taking the bold step. Let me quickly add this here before we move on. Parents, know when your children need encouragement and not criticism. Also, you need to know when not to make fun of your children.

This also goes to friends and family members; the things we say for fun may be hurt our young ones inside. Sadly, these people hurting on the inside do not want to complain about it out of fear of being tamed “too sensitive”. So, when you are making fun of a person’s ability, job, spouse, creativity, ensure to end it with something encouraging.

Tip: For every negative word, you say to someone whether you are joking or not, always end it with at least five things you love about the person.

Five ways to conquer self-doubt
Before you try these practical tips on how to conquer self-doubt you need to know what is at stake if you if you do not try to conquer self-doubt. One thing is sure, you will not be able to fully unleash your potential, reach the goals you have set out for yourself, impact the people you are meant to impact, and the list goes on and on. It is 100% up to you to decide if you are going to conquer self-doubt.

Realize that self-doubt is all in the mind
Your thought about your abilities do not make it true; just because you think you cannot do it does not mean it is true. Also, other people, negative stories do not imply your case will be the same; it says you should learn from their mistakes; avoid the things they did that made them to fail. So let other people inspire you, or teach you lessons; it should not stop you from unleashing your potentials or prevent you from being creative.

Never forget the purpose behind your goals
One of the many things that will keep you focus on activating your creativity to accomplish your goal is the purpose behind it. Why do you want to do what you intend to do? What made you resolve to start a new goal in the first place? Whenever you feel overwhelmed, or discouraged, think back… remember the reasons you embarked on the journey in the first place. It will spike your inner strength, and silence the self-doubt thoughts brewing inside of you.

Take one step at a time
Rushing things after being motivated is one of the common mistakes we make. After reading or listening to a motivational speech or book we are full with energy to kick off right away, but often time we run out of fuel because we indulge in several things just to accomplish the set goal as quickly as possible. I was in this category, and I have learnt my lessons- if you want to go fast, take as many steps as you can within the shortest period, but if you want to go far, then you have to take one step at a time; learn from the process.

Be teachable and appreciate others from the same field
No one is an island; we all need each other to survive; it is okay to make mistakes. In addition, your mistakes do not mean you are a failure. It simply means there are some things you need to learn from others, or the process itself. Instead of allowing other people’s skills or talents pull you down, appreciate their talents and be humble enough to learn from them. When you feel insecure because of someone else’s achievements, you feed your mind with self-doubts. So, inspire yourself with other people’s work without trashing yourself.

Surround yourself with supportive and positive people
It will be difficult for you to conquer your self-doubt if you keep mixing up with the wrong crowds. However, constructive criticism is different from judgment; the ability to know the difference will help you filter out the people who are not improving yourself.

Encourage Yourself: Furthermore, you can tell if a person is not what you need in your life by answering truthfully to these questions below;

1. Do you feel bad after having a conversation with the person or do you feel encouraged to do more than you were doing before?
2. Are you scared of soliciting advice from the person, or do excited when sharing your dreams with the person?
3. Does this person spill the beans to other friends especially when you fight with him/her?
   The answers to these questions will help you separate the sheep from the goats.
   In conclusion, you are capable of doing whatever you set your mind to do, no matter how many times you have failed; it does not determine how far you go in life. All you need is to stand again and move.
4. Finally, it does not matter if you are soaring, flying, running, walking, or crawling, just keep moving