Monday afternoon I had a friend of mine shoot me a text and ask me how things we’re going and shoot the bull a little bit. After 20 or so messages, he finally said ‘he was just checking in because he hadn’t seen a post from me in a couple of weeks.’ And then, just last night, as Amanda and I were putting our sheets back on the bed (DAMN I LOVE CLEAN SHEETS, CAN I GET AN AMEN?), she said the same thing. She said “are you just uninspired?”

As we finished up with the sheets, my brain was repeating that questions over and over and over. My initial response to her was “No, I’ve just been super busy and traveling.” But what kind of BS response is that? The truth is that I had been writing. I have 9 different semi-written posts sitting in my queue. Why haven’t I finished them? Why haven’t I posted them?

My brain was racing for an answer like it always does. Something wasn’t adding up. And then as I was going through them earlier this am, I realized what it was. I thought they were all garbage. Hell, maybe they are, but that isn’t the point, is it? The point of the blog is to write, to share my ups and down in hopes that someone else can benefit from what I’ve learned.

The Rabbit Hole

After about 20 minutes of self-deprecation, I literally said out loud “stop this shit!” Which was the first step in the right direction. Self-doubt is a silent killer. It kills your motivation, it kills your creativity, holds you back and limits you from being your best. I have dealt with this plenty of times in my life peronally and as an entrepreneur. Almost every decision you make comes with some sort of doubt, but you have to be confident in yourself. If not, it will consume you.

Then all the real questions started to come flying out… Does anyone really give a shit what I write? Am I really helping anyone or wasting my time? Does it matter if I even do this? Am I even qualified to give someone else advice? And so on we went down the self-doubt hole.

So, what are some other ways that you can keep this doubt at bay?

Stop the Self Doubt!

1 | Legitimately say “STOP IT” out loud

When you have those negative thoughts well up inside of you, stop them! Don’t let your mind race with all the negative self-talk. I like to use this one- “NO, NO, NO, NO. We are not going down this path. You are here because you deserve to be. You are doing the right things.” And then I usually add some color to what I’m actually dealing with.

2 | Get a Boost of Motivation

Listen to a podcast, watch a youtube, or go for a walk/run. I surround myself with positivity with the books I read, the podcasts I listen to, the Instagram accounts I follow, and anything else my brain is consuming. I am always looking for someone/something to remind me of the positive.

3 | Sharpen you Skills

Doubting yourself in your writing abilities (like me)? Write more. Not confident in your presentation? Practice it. Youtube, Udemy, Masterclass, and Google are UNBELIEVABLE resources where you can learn and grow ANYWHERE. It’s amazing at the access we now have to learn how to do almost anything.

Side note: I was out in Idaho on an elk hunt this past week and we had to spike out on the mountain ridge (more coming in a different post on this, it was INSANE) and one of the guys with us had legitimately NEVER camped before. Turned out, he was probably the most proficient guy there. When I asked him how he knew so much, he said he ‘watched a lot of Survivorman and read a lot on the subject.’ LOL.

Disclaimer: I’m not saying that you should run off into the mountains because you watched a TV show.

4 | Momentum Shift Up

Focus on the positive. What’s going right? What are you good at? Where have you been successful in the past? Remember those things, focus on those things and replicate those things. Wash your brain with all those positive thoughts.

How often does that “worst-case scenario” idea that we always have come true? Almost never. So get out there and GO!

5 | Talk to your Mom

Or Dad, sibling, best friend or significant other. Seriously, call them up and say “hey, I’m having trouble with X and I’d like to get your advice.” They may have no experience in what you are trying to do, but they know you and they know how amazing you are. You will be able to spitball, talk through it, and come out with an idea on how you will defeat the head monster.

6 | DO!

All of these other steps don’t matter if you don’t DO what you’re struggling with. You will never get better. You will never get over the slump. You will stay right where you are. For me in this instance, I just had to start writing. I talked to a buddy and he said he ‘figured most people struggle with this on an everyday basis so write a post about how you get over it.’ GENIOUS. Not really, but a different perspective can make all the difference.

So I started writing. About 35 minutes ago to be exact. I never write these things this fast, but I am excited. The fire is lit. I am acting and it feels good.

Remember, you are good enough in anything you put your mind to.

GO, DO & GROW!