I’ve always struggled with my self-esteem. In fact, I’ve spent much of my life trying to improve it. Today I realized I finally found a solution: start my own company. Time and again I have seen myself blocking my own progress for no reason other than that bothersome voice telling me that I won’t manage. Now that my family’s financial livelihood relies on it, I must pull myself together. I need to stop being my own biggest problem. “Dear self, no more beating around the bush. Believe in yourself or fail.”
What I'll be doing differently
As a starter, here are some things that I’ll be doing differently to help assure that I will no longer be my own worst enemy. Here’s how I am going to react to that voice:
- …raising doubts about whether I can succeed. I’ll focus on being more proactive. Stop thinking and start doing something to move forward. The voice will be a kind of alarm telling me to take concrete steps at that very moment to move my business forward. Write an email. Make a phone call. Do some research.
- …bringing the imposter syndrome monster to life. I’ll take a moment to ask people that I trust for feedback. When asking for feedback, I’ll talk about what I perceive as my strengths, asking for their view. That will turn the narrative from “You’re not good enough” to “You are good, but it always helps to find out how you can lean into your strengths.”
- …saying that I am too old or not attractive enough. I’ll tell it to shut up and prove it wrong. I’ll take selfies or record a video of myself that I like. I’ll do my hair, put on make-up, and dress up. A large part of this initiative is about building a personal brand. There is no room for wasting energy on criticizing my appearance.
Will I actually finally believe in myself?
I had a round of trying to quiet the voice today, and it hit me that I am coming closer to the illusive self-confidence. I started my teen years with really low self-esteem, and I’ve managed to increase it over time. Yet, I am still a far cry from being able to be positive about myself. It’s really a big deal that I have finally found a concrete reason to solve this problem.
Will I finally believe in myself? After today, for the first time in my life, I think it could be possible. I’ve linked my ability to follow my passions in my professional life to my own self-image. I would be crazy to sabotage myself with something that I have the tools to solve. Ultimately, I will have succeeded even if this business idea doesn’t pan out. Believe in yourself or fail; I know I am up to the challenge.