“Never Be Afraid To Fail.” When I was younger, my father would always tell me to never be afraid to fail. Still, to this present day, when I am pursuing something new, the message remains the same. These words have become my motto when it comes to pursuing new goals. In this blog, my goal is to encourage you to never be afraid to fail, while also helping you overcome doubt.
It is not uncommon to feel doubt or question what you are about to embark on when it is something you have never done before. This could be pursuing an advanced degree, entering a new job, or even starting a company. In my own experience, if doubt ever crept in when I was pursuing a goal, I would ask myself, what would I feel like in five years if I did not pursue this goal? Would I feel a sense of regret? These questions would allow me to reflect on how to navigate the doubt, while simultaneously helping me gain confidence in the early stages of starting something new.
I am going to share with you the ways I overcome self-doubt that may arise when attempting something new. These three pieces of advice will encourage you to take the jump into the unknown and pursue your greatest goals and passions in life with relentless confidence. I will elaborate on the three pieces of advice which include:
- Create a vision board.
- Surround yourself with positive and supportive people.
- Write down the steps it would take to meet your goal.
Let’s first begin by discussing the power of the vision board. A vision board that encompasses positive words, messages, and images can inspire a more enhanced and optimistic outlook. By reinforcing positive messages with your vision board, you begin to block out negativity that may arise, such as doubt. I want you to think about what messages encourage you and help you to persevere during difficult times. For example, I have a bold and encouraging quotation titled “The Man In The Arena,” by Theodore Roosevelt on my vision board. If doubt ever creeps in, I reference my vision board with that quotation on one side of the board to provide encouragement. It reminds me of why I began in the first place to pursue the goal.
Second, surround yourself with positive and supportive people. Whether it was returning to the sport of gymnastics after three years to compete in college or founding an organization for women in sport during my doctoral program, I had a strong support system rooting for me. Whether it is one person or several, you need positive reinforcement to help build your confidence at the beginning stages of pursuing any goal. You need someone who will believe in your efforts and reiterate positive words to combat the doubt. You will then be able to hold on to the positive words encouraging you, while allowing you to block out the negativity you may hear from the outside world.
Lastly, write down your vision and the steps it would take to achieve your goal. Journaling and writing positive affirmations to achieve your greatest goals is powerful. I want you to imagine pursuing your goal and succeeding. How would you feel if you were able to positively influence others by pursuing and obtaining this goal? How would success motivate you to do even more for the greater good of society? Journaling and positive thinking are powerful. I am speaking from experience when I say focus on positive thoughts and write down your goals. I write in a journal every day when I wake up. Writing your thoughts and focusing on the positive can propel you to overcome any doubt that may arise, while leading you to achieve your own goals.
These three pieces of advice I offered you: create a vision board, surround yourself with positive people, and the power of journaling will offset the doubt and assist you to leap toward your heart’s greatest desires. Remember, you have been uniquely assigned to go after that dream you have within you. I want you to go for this goal for you never know where it may lead or the spectacular experiences you may have along your journey. You got this. I believe in YOU! Take hold of those dreams and chase them down!
