What you must overcome to be successful

Ever thought of an idea, and even acted on it, only to loose the desire to continue. You try and make a deal with yourself that you will do it later. But when later comes, other things have priority and you keep on postponing. Or you even start having second thoughts on your idea and ambitions. The procrastination and self doubt is something that every successful person, great artist and visionary has had to overcome. Interestingly enough, it is not something that only the most successful of business leaders have had to overcome. The most famous of artists that we today consider geniuses struggled with self doubt and procrastination.

Michelangelo

The artists who today is most known for painting the Sistine Chapel commissioned by Pope Julius II^[1]. Before creating his masterpiece, Michelangelo at first refused taking the project on as he believed that he was a sculptor and not a painter. The commissioning was actually a ploy from the artistic community of Rome, who felt threatened by Michelangelo. They had thought that the project would have overwhelmed him and set him back. Despite his own reservations and the terrible working conditions, Michelangelo took on the project and presented a true masterpiece after 4 years.

Imagine if Michelangelo had not taken on the challenge, and had refused to take on the project, perhaps the Sistine Chapel’s would hold no significance.

Vincent Van Gogh

An artist who struggled with self doubt to the point that it was destructive, is Vincent van Gogh. He faced mental and  behavioural issues that resulted in him being hospitalised and cutting off part of his ear and eventually committing suicide. Vincent long felt that he had failed as a man and as an artist. He once said:

"If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.”

Because of the constant self doubt, he had set ridiculously high standards for himself and his artwork. His demise was due to exhaustion and desperation^[2]. Most of his succes came late for Vincent, the majority even after his death. Perhaps if he had overcome his self doubt, the weight pressure on his shoulders would have been reduced. But on the other hand, it was his self doubt that fuelled his art and quality.

Understanding self doubt

To overcome something, you must understand what it is. Self doubt is something that every human experiences. It is defined as “A feeling of having no confidence in your abilities and decisions" - Cambridge.

Feelings, more often than not, are irrational emotions sparked by an action or an event. If we experience feelings as emotional reactions to events we can start questioning why we experience which specific feelings. Being mindful that we only experience feelings when we care about an action or event. It is easier to understand why we might feel like we are not good enough  when it comes to something we care about because we care so much.

Self doubt is a natural reaction to fear of failure, however it is your ability to overcome self doubt that is critical to your succes. ^[3]

Embracing self doubt

Knowing that self doubt affects very one on every level helps give perspective as well. The late Kobe Bryant^[4] once said;

“I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I’m like, ‘My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don’t have it. I just want to chill.’ We all have self-doubt. You don’t deny it, but you also don’t capitulate to it. You embrace it.”

Because self doubt, as it did for Vincent van Gogh, was a driver for his high standards. The fear of being a failure is an emotion Kobe felt because he cared about everything that happened on the basketball court. Embracing self doubt means accepting it as part of life. Being okay with the realisation that the things that you are afraid of might and might not happen. We are all human and make mistakes. Embracing self doubts also means not being afraid to challenge the thoughts of doubt with (rational) questions.

Self doubt - “You are not good enough”  // “According to whom? On the off chance that you are not good enough, you are not good enough right now. Any skill can be learnt. Work at it and you will be good enough.”

                    “You will never achieve XYZ”// “Of course I will, I might not get there tomorrow. But I know the entire alphabet. I know how to XYZ, is to go through ABC. I will get there”  

                     “What if you fail?” // “What if I succeed?”

You are the CEO of you. If your Chief Feelings Officer tells you something, you have to take it on, they have a big position. But you reserve the right to challenge them and to steer you in to the right direction. You are at the head after all.

Overcoming self doubt

The way you overcome self doubt is critical to your success. That means that you have to continuously be alert of your self doubt, understand the reason you are experiencing it and challenge it. There is a lot that you have to keep on top of. But you don’t have to do it alone. Create a team with people that bring out the best in you. People that fuel your confidence and help you challenge your self doubt.

“Your teammates give you the confidence. They give me the confidence all year, all postseason. ”— LeBron James ^[5]

Reflect on your journey. You can silence self doubt by simply monitoring your progress. Keep working and track your achievements.

No matter how far you are on your journey self doubt will be something you will encounter and only by overcoming it, will you be able to advance and succeed.

^[1] http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/michelangelo.htm

^[2] https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/nl/kunst-en-verhalen/verhalen/de-dood-van-vincent

^[3] http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/sports-psychology/body-image-and-self-esteem/self-doubt-definition/

^[4] https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/15-kobe-bryant-quotes-from-his-legendary-career-that-will-inspire-you.html

^[5] https://www.quotes.wiki/your-teammates-give-you-the-confidence-they-gi/