Eliminating Self-Doubt

Self-doubt is preventing many from executing on their ideas and plans to reach their goals. In fact, everybody deals with self-doubt once in a while, even the ultra successful. I’ve met many successful entrepreneurs and property investors who have doubted themselves at some point in their lives. These types of people recognise self-doubt when it occurs and they learn how to overcome it to ultimately set themselves out to accomplish their goals. Have you ever asked yourself, “Am I good enough to pursue my dreams?” Or “What will happen if I fail?” Well you are not alone, as it is perfectly normal to feel this way at times. It is all about recognising why you doubt yourself, and pushing through those barriers to help you take action.

I have had my fair share of self-doubt. When I left school heading into my late teens, I was fired from nearly every job I had, one after the other, I was told I wasn’t good enough. Even my parents told me I was a failure. After a while it starts to take its toll and I began to question myself, “Am I actually a failure?” and “Is this what life was meant to be for me?” I went through years of self-doubt, not feeling confident in pursuing anything in life. I figured that if others thought I was not good enough, then it must be the truth. For a short period of time I used it almost like an excuse not to try or excel any more. Self doubt was slowly destroying my life leading me to believe that my capabilities were becoming more and more limited.

There was a period of time when I was working in the nightclub industry, where I was getting into trouble with the police quite frequently. Small petty incidents such as a scuffle on the street to simply getting into unnecessary arguments with police officers, the warnings and arrests kept coming. I was becoming a menace. Then one day a superior of mine who I used to work under pulled me aside and asked, “Zah what do you want out of life?” I said, “I want to be successful in business but I don’t think I’m good enough. Everyone tells me I’m a failure and I have no hope.” This was his response, “You have 24 hours in a day, just like everybody else, and you also only have one lifetime that has been gifted to you. If you continue to listen to all those negative people, you will become nothing. What you can and can’t do is totally up to you. When you are old and about to die, do you think you will care what others had to say about you today? You need to believe in yourself, give it a really good crack and drive for what you really want. Do not live for people who do not support you, as they have their own lives to live.” This is where the light bulb struck, and I made the decision to back myself and make it my mission to succeed in business.

Over a decade on, I still experience glitches of self-doubt, from the media attempting to defame me, to my family hating on my work, to my very own associates making me feel undervalued at times, it all still affects me in some shape or form. However, if I had given in and listened to all these naysayers telling me I wasn’t good enough to tell my story, that I wasn’t cut out for business, that I was never going to make it in property, then I wouldn’t be in the position I am in now. I am here today because I made the decision to not care about what others thought of me and continued to drive through business and life with the accelerator pushed through the floor. I would move so fast that self-doubt would get run over and left behind, just like all the negative people in my life.

“I was born alone and I will die alone. I’ve got to do what’s right for me and not live my life the way anybody else wants it” – 50 Cent

Some of those people who never believed in me in my earlier years have now come to me for advice on business and property investment. They want to know how I did it with so many obstacles in my way. I take great pleasure in helping others overcome self-doubt and low confidence to help remove their own anchor to ensure productivity increases. It is important to know that the world does not just revolve around you, others have their own goals, dreams, problems and self-confidence issues. We are all responsible for choosing our path. Be decisive, firm, and face your fear of taking action. Execute your plan with a vision to succeed. The more you educate yourself and gather experience in your 24 hours, the more confident you will become.

The temptation to compare yourself to others in this day and age is difficult to avoid. With social media and the internet being at the fore front of our eyes on a daily basis, we are constantly reminded how every other person or business is doing. We are bombarded with success stories such as individuals purchasing multiple properties or businesses expanding at a rapid rate, while many of us are still struggling to buy our first property or make a start in our latest business idea. Concentrating on what others are doing will waste time and can leave you feeling anxious and depressed. Instead of making comparisons, try to learn and network from the success of others. Reach out to those who you admire and respect, as you may be surprised at the response you will get. Take motivation and inspiration away from these businesses and individuals. I like to think of them as “silent mentors”. Not only can you learn from their successes but also the mistakes they have made.

Always remember mistakes will always happen. You can’t expect everything to turn out perfect. The key is, to just give it a good crack. Who cares if you fail or stuff up? Just do it better the next time and keep moving forward. Who would you rather be, the worst footballer on the State of Origin team, or the spectator sitting on the sidelines pretending to be an “expert” who has done nothing about playing the actual game. Accept that mistakes will happen, own up to them as they occur, then move on with a better understanding on how to operate. To me your net worth is not the amount of money you have in the bank, or the value of assets that you have accumulated. It is the amount of experiences you have had through difficult times such as overcoming self-doubt.