We don’t avoid what we don’t care about—we avoid what we most care about.
Our greatest fears point to what we most strongly desire.
The more you’re afraid of something, the more likely it is that you care about it deeply.
You don’t need motivation when you’re motivated.
You don’t need confidence when you’re confident.
You don’t need perseverance when you don’t feel like giving up.
It’s when you least have something that you most need it.
And the more you don’t feel like it, the more you shall step into it.
These are the moments that make or break. They are when some quit and others stay.
Resistance, doubt and despondency are gifts. They are an opportunity to assess and connect with what truly matters to you. They are also an opportunity to defy the odds. To do the thing when the thing is difficult. This is what sets professionals apart from amateurs.
Practical tips: How to deal with resistance and self-doubt
1. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the thing I feel resistance to a priority?
- How meaningful is it for me?
- What creates the resistance? What am I afraid I might have to face?
You may discover that the more important it is to you, the stronger the resistance.
2. Slow down, examine your thoughts and inner dialogue.
Are your catastrophising about future events? Are you telling yourself you may fail?
Often we feel resistance because we’re entertaining unappealing or catastrophic thoughts about the future.
3. Ground your mind in the present moment.
To prevent your mind from racing into future projections, try to keep it grounded in the present moment. Connect with your breath, wherever you are feeling it most strongly—in your chest, at the tip of your nose—and observe it.
Feel the sensations of your body. The tingling in your hands, the touch of your clothes against your skin. Hear the sounds around you. Be here, now. And whenever you notice that worry, uneasy, doubt are creeping in again—i.e. that you’re lost in thought again—just gently return to the present moment by connecting with your breath. The breath is an anchor of the here and now.
4. Take the next step.
What’s the next most important thing you need to do to move your project forward? Stay here, now, and do it.
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In my free two-day masterclass, Freedom From Self-Doubt and Overwhelm, I teach growth-driven entrepreneurs, coaches and leaders how to break free from self-doubt, anxiety and overwhelm, and bring the spark and inner freedom back into life. If you want to attend, join the waiting list.