7 Tips to Overcome Self-Doubt as a Successful Entrepreneur

Self-doubt is one of the most powerful things that can hold you back as an entrepreneur. When you feel uncertain about your abilities, it’s easy to feel frozen and not know what to do next. Fortunately, there are many ways you can get over your self-doubt and move forward, even if you haven’t started your business yet or are running it. These seven tips will help you overcome self-doubt so that you can be confident in taking risks and growing your business.

1) Define who you are
The first step in overcoming self-doubt is taking an honest, unflinching look at yourself. Are you proud of what you’ve built? Or are you constantly measuring your professional and personal life against others? If you can start celebrating your strengths instead of beating yourself up for perceived weaknesses, your self-doubt will likely begin to subside. You are who you are—it’s okay if that doesn’t match someone else’s ideal! You don’t have to be perfect but strive for excellence in everything that matters most.

2) Understand what's holding you back
In truth, self-doubt is natural for all successful entrepreneurs. It’s what drives us to keep pushing forward—which can be good or bad. Good self-doubt will help you learn from your failures and keep trying even when you don’t know if it will work out. But sometimes, too much self-doubt can hold you back from success, or cause you to give up when things get tough.

3) Realize this too shall pass
When you feel like giving up, step back and put things in perspective. Whatever you’re struggling with now will pass. If there’s ever been a time when you needed confidence, it is now. You have everything you need to succeed, right at your fingertips—all it takes is a little belief in yourself and your idea!

Don’t let doubt keep you from achieving success.
4) Focus on people who support you
One of my favorite quotes is from Theodore Roosevelt: Put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket. Every entrepreneur has moments of self-doubt. If you start a company and it fails, you may not only lose time and money but also face other consequences—losing credibility or confidence in yourself, for example. One way to overcome self-doubt is to surround yourself with people who support you, like family or close friends. Don't be afraid to seek professional help either; sometimes we need others' perspectives when things seem bleak.

I found tremendous encouragement when I opened up about my concerns with my partner and made plans on how we would overcome these challenges together.

5) Ask your mentor for help
It might seem counterintuitive, but asking your mentor for help and advice is a great way to overcome self-doubt.

Because let’s face it—you don’t just want someone to pat you on the back and tell you what an awesome job you’re doing. You want specific strategies, ideas, and tips that will help move your business forward. The feedback from your mentor can be priceless, so if it ever feels like self-doubt is getting in your way of success, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Never know; It could be just what you need.

6) Step outside of your comfort zone
Sometimes self-doubt is caused by fear of failure or fear of disappointing others. To overcome these fears and move past your self-doubts, you'll have to face them head-on. Step outside of your comfort zone and do things that make you feel uncomfortable: take action, engage with people in unfamiliar ways, or experiment with a new perspective. And remember: Failure is part of success! It doesn't mean you can't be successful; it means you're pushing yourself toward success!

7) Celebrate successes and learn from failures
Celebrate your successes, both small and large. Take time at least once a month (or more often if you need it) to reflect on what you’ve accomplished so far, and don’t be afraid to pat yourself on the back for it. On that same note, though, be open about your failures and ask yourself why they happened — without letting them discourage you. Failure is an unavoidable part of success; learn from your mistakes so they don’t happen again.

CONCLUSION
Many people (such as friends, family members, and coworkers) often ask how they can help. Most will say things like you've got great ideas or you're such an inspiration. While it's nice that others have confidence in your abilities and dreams, don't rely on their words of encouragement.

Instead, look within yourself. Sometimes what we need most is self-motivation. After all: If you don't think you can do it, no one else will either! So stay strong and keep moving forward—if you fall (or feel like you have), simply dust

yourself off and try again until you achieve your goal! Not sure what that goal is? Ask yourself such a q

uestion: What are my passions? What do I enjoy doing?

I initially composed this article on my blog.