Ever feel like you’re not good enough?Like you want to move forward but you’re crippled by an overwhelming awareness of your own incompetence that makes you feel futile? We’ve all been there - from beginners to new graduates, to experts.
Most people at some point feel a sense of inferiority that prevents them from fully embracing or enjoying something. Sometimes it’s simply feedback to let you know you’re barking up the wrong tree - like me and osteopathy.
But most of the time when we think we lack confidence it’s because - consciously or unconsciously - we’re comparing ourselves to other people.
You’re expecting yourself to be better than you are, and be more like them. You can’t see your own brilliance. So you freeze. You’re overwhelmed, simple tasks feel overwhelming. You can’t match up to them, so why even bother?
I found myself doing exactly this recently to me to the point where I considered giving up on something that I know I love doing.
Several tantrums later, a few things helped bring me back to my senses:
My bestie reminding me to check in with my ‘why’.
Embracing my ineptitude. Humbling myself enough to be content with being amongst the worst in the group. Ouch, but a necessary evil. Reminding myself that I’m a beginner, it’s ok to be crap and that people learn at different paces (I’m a slow learner) and that it’s normal to be rubbish right now, and that even people with loads of talent and experience struggle and get it wrong sometimes.
Remembering that old cliche: the journey is the destination. Focus on enjoying the doing rather than the outcome.
Just do it. That old Nike slogan. It’s in the doing that you get better and your confidence grows, even if right now you’re a bit rubbish.
So if you’re ever intimidated by people you perceive to be bigger, stronger, better than you, try the above.
If you generally want to learn more about this and increase your confidence, pop along to my day retreat where I’ll be sharing techniques to help you feel better about where you are and open your eyes to your brilliance that you’re currently not seeing.