Vincent Van Gogh once said, “If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
I will confess, that I hear that voice more often than I’d care to admit.
“Your work is not good enough,”
“You’ll fail,”
“Why even bother?”
You’d think this confident, beautiful, and sassy woman would be immune to it by now, especially after years of juggling different balls and countless challenges. But like everything negative, self-doubt has a way of creeping in when one least expects it.
Let me paint a picture for you.
I’ve second-guessed countless decisions I was confident about just a day before. In many scenarios, I’ve poured my heart into work projects, only to doubt if they were good enough to share or even afraid of the criticisms. I’ve even abandoned drafts of blog posts and musings written with joy because I wondered if they made sense or would resonate with my audience.
And it doesn’t stop there.
I saved up for a dress I loved, planning to wear to a friend’s wedding. But on that day, I decided against it. Why? Because I noticed my “mummy pouch” and convinced myself I wouldn’t look good enough. Not to mention the countless applications for grants, scholarships, and opportunities sitting in my draft unsent, because I fear I’d be rejected.
I even wrote and illustrated a children’s book, something I was so proud of, but I couldn’t muster the courage to share it with a publisher.
Self-doubt has held me back more times than I can count. It made me question my worth and robbed me of the joy of seeing my ideas come to life.
The Turning Point
I thought that self-doubt would eventually fade if I read enough self-help books or listened to inspirational talks.
It didn’t!
Nothing changed until I decided.
I decided that perfection wasn’t the goal, progress was.
I decided my ideas, body, experiences, and work were already beautiful. Every idea or creation I birthed is uniquely me.
I took baby steps to change my thought process, surrounding myself with visual affirmations. And most importantly, I learned to speak life into myself.
Did you know we speak over 16,000 words to ourselves every day? Imagine how much more powerful we’d feel if those words built us up instead of tearing us down.
Overcoming Self-Doubt
Here’s what worked for me, and it might work for you too:
- Identify the Root of Your Doubts – Ask yourself: Where is this coming from? Is it even true? Once you question the doubt, it starts to lose its power.
- Change How You Speak to Yourself – Replace the harsh inner dialogue with affirmations like, ‘I am beautiful, My work matters. Progress, not perfection.’ Check out the Trendy Mum affirmation card
- Focus on What You Want – Fear feeds doubt. But when you focus on your dreams instead of your fears, you empower yourself.
- Surround Yourself with Encouragement – Seek out people who believe in you and limit time with those who don’t. Your environment shapes your confidence.
- Take the first step but Start – Don’t wait for the “perfect moment.” Submit that project, wear that dress, and take that first step, each one builds confidence. And if you fail while at it, treat failure as feedback. It’s part of the process, not the end.
Are you haunted by self-doubt?
It’s time to change your narrative. Start small, speak kindly to yourself, and remember you are enough.
