As I have already said. We all have doubts. Maybe I even had a bit of doubt as to whether a Tip on doubt would be most useful for you. 😉 Hmmmm.
So the first step, as with all less empowering emotions, is to ACCEPT you are feeling what you are feeling. Then try out 1 or all of the following Tips.
Tip 1: Take a helicopter ride
I don’t mean literally, however they can be a lot of fun. But if you have doubts about flying… 😉
All of our doubts are a psychological thing. Doubt precedes the end result. Doubt is a best guess based on our PAST experience. And does the PAST have to equal the FUTURE? Does a past result give 100% certainty of a future outcome? Not in the majority of cases.
So the first thing you need to do when you have doubts is get in that helicopter and get some perspective on the situation. Is what you are telling yourself in your mind 100% true?
A lot of time, just getting perspective will eradicate your doubts or wind them down so they are a little bump on the road of life.
Tip 2: Make a call to someone else’s helicopter
Is your perspective a little flawed, because maybe you only know what you know, and don’t know what you don’t know? Maybe you don’t know everything there is to know in the universe. 😉
So…
Get another persons perspective. Preferably one that has the skills or knowledge to help out and who is not emotionally involved in the thing you are doubting.
Ask for help. You don’t need to do it alone. And sometimes just by sharing you see the absurdness of the doubts you had in the first place.
Tip 3: Interrupt the monkeys playing in your mind
Most of our doubts can start off little, but then left in the hands of our runaway monkey mind, our ‘issue’ can turn gradually turn into the plot for an end-of-the-world disaster movie. Yikes!!! The world is about to end…everyone run!! We are all doomed! Etc. Ever been guilty of that? Me too. 😉
Here are some ways to interrupt the mental chatter:
– go for a walk in nature
– go for a run
– meditate
– do some ‘Tapping’ (Emotional Freedom Technique)
– sit back and observe your monkey mind
– do 5 mins of breathing exercises (this cools the stress response)
– talk with a friend
A lot of times, when we still our catastrophizing minds, we actually can see much more clearly, and realise it is not an issue after all. However in other cases this might temporarily interrupt the doubts but not ‘solve’ them. So you might have to use the next Tip…
Tip 4: Become your own consultant
The most common role of a consultant is to establish the desired outcome of an organisation, establish clearly where they are now, and then help them close the gap between what they want and where they are.
Be your own consultant and try following these steps:
1. Get clear about what your doubts are.
2. Get clear about the final outcome you want.
3. Get clear about where you are now (what skills and resources you have).
4. Establish what is needed to help you bridge the gap.
You might need new skills. Maybe some more practice. Maybe some external resources. Maybe you need to change your timeline. Maybe you need more information. Maybe you need to clarify some assumptions. Maybe you need to readjust your goal. Maybe you need your own coach or consultant. Maybe you need to find a new way.
In general, our emotions are a signal (from our brains) that something needs to be done.
Tip 5: Stepping like an ant
I like the analogy of an ‘ant’ as opposed to something like ‘baby steps’. The ant takes tiny steps, but it is so purposeful and so good at getting stuff done.
One of the greatest ways to overcome our doubts is to step into them. One ant step at a time if need be, until we have some traction or momentum (or have bypassed it). As you know, ants come in all different sizes, so the size of their steps vary significantly too. The same for us. Some people will be ok with huge steps and others with little steps.
The main thing is not the size of the step, but the initiation of physical motion in the direction of your goals. Stepping into ACTION, one step at a time, will soon have you moving through and beyond your doubts.
Not sure what step to take? Trust yourself. Trust that amazing mind of yours. Ask the question: “So what now needs to be done?” Listen to your inner wisdom and then get into the ant shuffle.
A final word
I heard recently someone say that we are at least 20 times more powerful, than we imagine ourselves to be. I like that. I know there is a lot more power in us than we ever let loose.
Imagine what your life would be like if it was multiplied by 20 (because you are actually 20 times more powerful). How AWESOME could your life be?
Oh, the possibilities…
Your Task:
Consider what you have doubts about right now? Use one of more of the Tips above to wind it down or move through it. Also think about whether the doubt would even exist if you were 20 times more POWERFUL. In what areas are you holding back that power? And what would happen if you just let go of any doubts and just went for it. Just go NUTS and see what happens. (Note: The worst that could happen is the world could end. ;-))
Got any questions or comments? You know how to find me. Just hit ‘reply’ or check out my Facebook Page.
Also feel free to help me to share these Tips with others, by forwarding them to your friends and family, since we could all do with reminders, support and useful tips along the way.