NFIB

Defeat Your Doubters: Your worst critic is often that little voice in your head
01/ 25/ 2006
by Laurie Zuckerman

When Rebecca Worters started Capability Company (http://www.capabilitycompany.com), a Raleigh, N.C.-based executive search firm for nonprofit organizations, she was paralyzed by negative thoughts: “I could be making more money working at Target. No one knows about my company. I can't make this work.”

There were some days when Worters couldn't even bring herself to return phone calls. Doing laundry appealed to her more than working on her business.

Then Worters read Byron Katie’s Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life. The book taught her to question her thoughts. She learned how to recognize what was truth and what was merely feeding her anxiety—revelations that continue to fuel her now-thriving business. “Once I wasn't beaten down by my thoughts, I was able to open my mind to the possibilities that existed out there,” Worters says.

“Self-doubt is one of the main reasons business owners don't achieve the level of success they could,” says Dr. Rachna Jain, a Baltimore psychologist and business coach.

Self-doubt impacts all business owners to a degree, particularly at critical junctures such as hiring employees or developing a new market, Jain says. The question is: To what extent does self-doubt hold you back?

“When business owners are about to step out really big, they tend to step back first,” Jain says. “Some people experience doubt and then take action anyway. Others step back and get stuck there.”

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How can you get unstuck?

Is self-doubt keeping you from pursuing all the opportunities within your reach? Try Jain’s tips on reenergizing yourself:

Reframe your feelings. Try a variety of techniques to shift your perspective. For example, try sandwiching a task you find difficult between two activities that relax you or give you confidence.

Invest in ongoing learning. Read a book, take a class or find a mentor. Learning is energizing. You are moving toward something rather than running away.

Develop systems. Whether it’s a software program that helps you organize your sales leads or just a daily to-do list, systems can help you apply best practices and boost your confidence.

Get back to the basics. Business owners often sacrifice sleep, good meals and exercise. But you can't feel good if you aren't taking good care of yourself.

Spend time with yourself. Don't neglect your own inner wisdom. Advisers are important, but be clear about what you want. If you are initiating a strategy, make sure you're behind it 100 percent.

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NFIB.com Stressed out? Find tips on relieving anxiety in "Stress Management" in the "Managing Growth" section of www.NFIB.com/toolsandtips

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