• Education
    • Higher Education
    • Scholarships & Grants
    • Online Learning
    • School Reforms
    • Research & Innovation
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Home & Living
    • Relationships & Family
  • Technology & Startups
    • Software & Apps
    • Startup Success Stories
    • Startups & Innovations
    • Tech Regulations
    • Venture Capital
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity
    • Emerging Technologies
    • Gadgets & Devices
    • Industry Analysis
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
Today Headline
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
Home Business & Finance Entrepreneurship

3 Steps to Turn Self-Doubt Into Success and Build Confidence | Entrepreneur

November 12, 2024
in Entrepreneurship
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
0
3 Steps to Turn Self-Doubt Into Success and Build Confidence | Entrepreneur
19
SHARES
41
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

That famed quote from the legendary South African President Nelson Mandela is one of my favorites. No matter what goal I’m trying to achieve, nothing seems nearly as insurmountable as what Mandela managed to do — dismantling apartheid in South Africa and peacefully transitioning the country to majority rule. And yet, he did it. One step at a time, with no guarantee that he would succeed.

There are a lot of factors that go into making a successful entrepreneur, but I can tell you with 100% certainty that belief in yourself is one of them. Confidence is what allows you to overcome obstacles and survive setbacks. It’s also contagious — if you believe in yourself and your mission, others will, too.

Such confidence may seem like something you either have or you don’t, like brown hair or an aversion to cilantro. But that’s not true — it can be built. Here’s how.

Related: 10 Things You Can Do to Boost Self-Confidence

Set achievable goals

As humans, we tend to be overconfident in our abilities. As Harvard Business Review put it, “we want to feel good about ourselves not only in terms of our accomplishments but also in terms of our aspirations. Therefore, when we assess our own capabilities at taking on goals, we tend to be excessively charitable.”

While it can be beneficial to set long-shot goals, the consequences can also be damaging. False hope syndrome, or setting unrealistic expectations leading to a cycle of failure and renewed effort, can result in a significant drop in self-esteem. Before you know it, the goal has gone by the wayside, replaced by a much less productive sense of self-pity and defeat.

Take the process of writing a book. I love to write, and doing my daily practice of morning pages is a crucial part of my routine. But when I set out to write my first book, I knew it was important to pace myself — I’d never done anything like this before, but I understood that just like starting a business, it would be a marathon, not a sprint.

Rather than sit down at my desk one day, determined to knock out the first few chapters in a single sitting, I made a plan. I created a detailed outline and set achievable goals within that framework. I gauged how much I could do in a given period, and tweaked it as needed until I settled into a rhythm. Sometimes, life got in the way — one of my kids caught the flu, or I got wrapped up in a new product launch at Jotform — and I wasn’t able to stick to the schedule I made. I gave myself some leeway without allowing myself to make excuses.

Every time I hit one of my micro-goals, I gave myself a pat on the back. Those small achievements added up, and eventually, it happened — I had a whole book.

Stay motivated

When you’re working toward a long-term goal, it’s natural that at some point, your motivation may start to flag. We’re hardwired to seek instant gratification — Sigmund Freud even termed it “the pleasure principle.”

To stay committed to your long-term goals, you have to find ways to stay motivated. For me, I like to seek out books and blogs about successful people. Reading about the odds others have overcome and their dedication to their mission, whether it’s ending apartheid or founding a company, is inspiring, and it keeps my spirits up when things get hard.

As a proud bootstrapped founder, I also find motivation in seeing a growth trend in my business. Even if you’re not turning a massive profit yet, that upward trend is a sign that you’re on the right track. This is another reason I have always avoided VC money — when you take an investment, you have to watch as your bank balance dwindles each month. It’s disheartening. With bootstrapping, that balance should be going up, sending a signal that the sacrifices you’re making are worth it.

Related: 60-Second Business Tips: 3 Ways to Boost Confidence

Embrace your strengths and acknowledge your weaknesses

There’s probably a reason why you’re on the path you’re on. You wouldn’t be trying to become a chef if you hated cooking, or dreaming up a new SaaS product if you hated coding. It’s important to know your strengths, but being aware of your weaknesses also makes you less likely to become crippled by them.

I find that getting to know my weaknesses and working on them is the best way to keep them from taking up too much of my mental space. I’m an introvert, and the first time I gave a talk in front of a room full of people, I was incredibly nervous. My first attempts didn’t go perfectly. But rather than beat myself up, or decide I was a failure, I practiced. And practiced, and practiced. Now, I actually love giving talks. Embracing the discomfort and risk of deviating from what I knew I was good at allowed me to increase my self-confidence.

There’s no two ways around it — if you want to accomplish something meaningful, there are going to be times when it’s going to be tough. Believing in yourself and your abilities will make the knocks less painful and give you the strength to keep going.

Tags: ConfidenceEntrepreneursLeadershipSelf confidenceStarting a BusinessThought Leaders
Previous Post

Top 10 best Lego deals we’ve spotted: Black Friday 2024

Next Post

Quick and clever organizing hacks to get you holiday-ready – National

Related Posts

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Wants You to Make AI Friends todayheadline

May 8, 2025
4
IBM CEO: AI Replaced Hundreds of Human Resources Staff

IBM CEO: AI Replaced Hundreds of Human Resources Staff todayheadline

May 8, 2025
7
Next Post
Quick and clever organizing hacks to get you holiday-ready - National

Quick and clever organizing hacks to get you holiday-ready - National

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

April 2, 2025
Pioneering 3D printing project shares successes

Product reduces TPH levels to non-hazardous status

November 27, 2024

Hospital Mergers Fail to Deliver Better Care or Lower Costs, Study Finds todayheadline

December 31, 2024

Police ID man who died after Corso Italia fight

December 23, 2024
Harris tells supporters 'never give up' and urges peaceful transfer of power

Harris tells supporters ‘never give up’ and urges peaceful transfer of power

0
Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend's Mother

Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother

0

Trump ‘looks forward’ to White House meeting with Biden

0
Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

0
Is Just for Laughs back? Montreal festival announces stacked lineup after scaled-down 2024

Is Just for Laughs back? Montreal festival announces stacked lineup after scaled-down 2024

May 8, 2025

Committee on Higher Education Warns National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Against Cancellation of Student Accommodation

May 8, 2025
Copy Link

One game from glory, Postecoglou is doing it the “anti-Spursy” way

May 8, 2025

Landbridge Company: A Potentially Profitable Investment in Oil Land Ownership todayheadline

May 8, 2025

Recent News

Is Just for Laughs back? Montreal festival announces stacked lineup after scaled-down 2024

Is Just for Laughs back? Montreal festival announces stacked lineup after scaled-down 2024

May 8, 2025
4

Committee on Higher Education Warns National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Against Cancellation of Student Accommodation

May 8, 2025
4
Copy Link

One game from glory, Postecoglou is doing it the “anti-Spursy” way

May 8, 2025
4

Landbridge Company: A Potentially Profitable Investment in Oil Land Ownership todayheadline

May 8, 2025
3

TodayHeadline is a dynamic news website dedicated to delivering up-to-date and comprehensive news coverage from around the globe.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Basketball
  • Business & Finance
  • Climate Change
  • Crime & Justice
  • Economic Policies
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Policies
  • Europe
  • Football
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Health
  • Medical Research
  • Mental Health
  • Middle East
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Politics
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Science & Environment
  • Software & Apps
  • Space Exploration
  • Sports
  • Stock Market
  • Technology & Startups
  • Tennis
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Us & Canada
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • World News

Recent News

Is Just for Laughs back? Montreal festival announces stacked lineup after scaled-down 2024

Is Just for Laughs back? Montreal festival announces stacked lineup after scaled-down 2024

May 8, 2025

Committee on Higher Education Warns National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Against Cancellation of Student Accommodation

May 8, 2025
  • Education
  • Lifestyle
  • Technology & Startups
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2024 Todayheadline.co

Welcome Back!

OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Business & Finance
  • Corporate News
  • Economic Policies
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Market Trends
  • Crime & Justice
  • Court Cases
  • Criminal Investigations
  • Cybercrime
  • Legal Reforms
  • Policing
  • Education
  • Higher Education
  • Online Learning
  • Entertainment
  • Awards & Festivals
  • Celebrity News
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Health
  • Fitness & Nutrition
  • Medical Breakthroughs
  • Mental Health
  • Pandemic Updates
  • Lifestyle
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Living
  • Politics
  • Elections
  • Government Policies
  • International Relations
  • Legislative News
  • Political Parties
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Cybersecurity
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Industry Analysis
  • Basketball
  • Football
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Climate Change
  • Environmental Policies
  • Medical Research
  • Science & Environment
  • Space Exploration
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • Sports
  • Tennis
  • Technology & Startups
  • Software & Apps
  • Startup Success Stories
  • Startups & Innovations
  • Tech Regulations
  • Venture Capital
  • Uncategorized
  • World News
  • Us & Canada
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Travel
  • Research & Innovation
  • Scholarships & Grants
  • School Reforms
  • Stock Market
  • TV & Streaming
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
  • About us
  • Contact

© 2024 Todayheadline.co