7 Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt (So you can regain your creativity and move forward in life!)

Hey Google, what's the definition of doubt?

Verb: 1. feel uncertain about. 2. fear; be afraid.

When it comes to turning dreams to reality, several things happen along our journey. We face obstacles that try to knock us down or set us back, but the worst things we face tend to come from our own minds.

Doubts are capable of halting us in our tracks and stopping us from living the way we want. I remember when I first started blogging, the doubts that played through my head. Am I doing this right? Am I knowledgable enough to write about this?

Keeping up with those thoughts and battling them throughout the day can be draining. So I discovered the methods that worked best for me to crush my doubts and regain all the mental energy I spent trying to keep them from the forefront of my mind.

Here are 7 ways to crush your doubt:

1. Why do you create?

This is a question only you can answer for yourself - and the best part is you may not have to look very far.

There is something innate in each one of us that drives us to create. Creation takes on many forms and builds itself through the minds and hands of those bold enough to listen to its call. (Tweet this)

I create because, without creativity, life loses its color. Tension builds up and if I have no way of expressing it, there's a risk that I may explode. Creativity is how I cope with what's going on in my life. It's an escape, a challenge, and just what I need all at the same time.

So ask yourself, why do you create? The answer doesn't even have to be consistent from the day-to-day, but it should be enough of a reminder to light a spark of realization within you - that if there's any sort of a driving force behind it, then it's easier to go on fighting this battle with your doubt.

Because when you have your "why" then you know what you're not willing to let go of.

2. Keep a journal

This could be alongside a bullet journal or your own separate process, but give yourself time each day or at least once a week to connect with yourself. Release your thoughts onto paper and soon you will find that they're easier to untangle.

Setting aside a quiet time in the morning in which I am unplugged and hyper-focused on myself has helped me find my center each day. It's nice to write down what's bothering me and some solutions I think could fix the problem. And the best part is that it's my private space where I can say literally anything and it's okay.

It's also nice to have a record of what you were going through, something to flip back on and remind yourself how far you've come from that moment.

3. Think back

Remember a time in the past when you doubted yourself but you still went through with it and did it anyway.

Recently my piano teacher held a recital to show off her students to one another. And me, being the oldest and probably the most anxious, struggled during the weeks leading up to it. Two weeks before, I decided didn't like the pieces we picked to play, that they were too hard and that my capabilities were too unpredictable to get me through to the end without becoming a fumbling mess.

Yet.

Despite the fact that my hands (you know, the parts of my body that were you actually play the instrument) were shaking, I walked up there before a crowd of families and friends, took a deep breath, and played.

Somehow, I made it through. (Quite spectacularly too, if I do say so myself.)

The wave of relief that washed over me lingers. If I hadn't faced my doubts, then I know I probably never would have if the opportunity presented itself to me again. And this has happened in more than one area of my life.

I doubted myself behind the wheel of the car - and yet got my license.

I doubted my abilities to write essays and function in a college environment - yet I recently graduated with my Associates.

I doubt my capabilities as a blogger and yet I am writing this post.

When did you doubt yourself and yet go on to prove yourself capable? Find those moments and bring them back to the forefront of your mind when you begin to spiral down into the void called "I don't know if I can do this".

4. Setbacks are temporary

So don't look at your situation as though you embody it. If you failed it's not because you are a failure, but because you had something to learn.

Ask yourself, what can I learn from this? Apply this knowledge to future problems.

5. Hangout with the right crowd - the people who make you feel good about yourself.

Who in your life makes you feel good about yourself? The people who have been there for you, support you and love you for who you are. You don't have to become a different person when you're with them - you can be yourself in your truest form and remain accepted by them.

Find these people for they are all around you. They may be friends from school, work, or event in your life. They may live far away but you still connect with them deeply.

We tend to become like those we create relationships with. Keep these people close.

6. Talk it out

Sometimes the best solutions come from the mouths of those who are wiser than us - or simply have an outside perspective. So go talk to someone. Voicing your thoughts can help you realize that they are just that, thoughts.

Clarity is easier when you have a fresh pair of eyes and a new mindset looking at the problem. You can tell yourself a thousand times but when it comes from another person (someone you look up to) it can heal you in ways you never knew possible.

So talk it out.

7. Quit the comparison game.

Nowadays, it is so easy to peek into the lives of other people. Look at how she does things. How she creates. His content.

But you have to remember that just as you control the information about you that flows out into the world, so do they. Not every day looks like a vacation on the beach or a massive influencer event or an eyeshadow palette launch. They had to work hard to get there.

Life is messy and random. Every single one of us is a passenger on this crazy rollercoaster - we just may be turned upside down at different moments.

Remind yourself that what you see on social media in no way accurately reflects the lives of those individuals. Release the envy. Be proud of the life you lead and the art you create.

What's the next step?

Do you doubt yourself? What have you done in the past to fight this doubt and continue moving forward?

Let me know in the comments below! I love hearing from my readers. :)