Everyone Experiences Self-Doubt, but Success Comes to Those Who Overcome It

Can I do this? Will the business be successful? These are common questions that current and prospective small business owners worry about, no matter how successful they have been previously. Self-doubt can be a real obstacle, but overcoming it can lead small businesses to new heights in success.

What causes doubt?

It might be surprising to learn that some of the most successful people have had a high level of doubt. Renowned poet Maya Angelou famously said that every time she wrote a book, she worried that someone was going to figure out that she'd been playing everyone all along. Six-time Grammy Award winner David Bowie even wondered whether he had what it took to make it in music early in his career.

Suffice it to say that thoughts of self-doubt are common. There are plenty of reasons that might contribute to these feelings, including:

• Personal history: Past experience can significantly impact how an entrepreneur feels today, especially if they have a history of bad experiences or other challenges like abusive relationships, family conflicts or mental health issues.

• Past failures: People tend to exaggerate the impact of past failures, and it distorts their perception of their own abilities, making goals seem harder to achieve.

• Fear of failure: Even if an entrepreneur hasn't failed in business, a fear that they might fail can hold them back.

• Worrying about what others might think: People put a lot of energy into comparing themselves to other people and use it to gauge their personal worth. Worrying that others will think less of them if they fail can be debilitating to an entrepreneur's growth.

How to overcome self-doubt to succeed in business

Small business owners might not be able to eliminate doubt from their life completely, but one of the most important things they can do to succeed in their business is learn how to overcome these doubts. There are some key ways to achieve this:

• Set goals both large and small: It’s great to have a big dream, and setting smaller goals along the way helps build confidence in the ability to achieve it.

• Be accountable: Create a realistic timeline and specific steps to achieve goals, and be accountable at every stage.

• Seek help from others: Small business owners should lean on others who know their goals to get support when they're experiencing doubt. Find a mentor, talk to a significant other, or bounce ideas off a good friend.

• Focus on successes: Building a successful business doesn’t happen overnight, but rather than thinking about all the things that still need to happen, spend time celebrating the little milestones along the way.

Don’t let doubts get in the way of building a small business. Acknowledge that self-doubt is normal, and then take steps to move past it.

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