How do you deal with doubts about your own abilities? The majority of people are not as fortunate as the 'elite' few who never have doubts and never question their own skills or abilities. I am one of the 99% who every so often come across a situation where I think ' am i worth it?'

I'm reading Peter Kay's "Sound of Laughter" biography at the moment and some thing he said struck a cord...he shared with his readers that for the first couple of years of his success as a comedian, everytime somebody knocked on his door or the phone rang he expected it to be somebody telling him "the games up theyve found out!" or "They have realised your not actualy funny" so we all have doubts..... but how we deal them makes the difference between success and failure....

I've very recently started a new chapter in my career, a new challenge, and even though i know this is what I have been working towards and training for, for many years I get doubts "Can i really do this?" One of my tutors from the Coaching Academy summed it up brilliantly she says we all have a "shi**y committee" (sorry for the language) the little voice in our each that says "no you cant do that they will all laugh at you when you fail"

When you get the doubts its important to take some steps to counteract themm
1. Look at your doubts in context - worry about what you can influence and control rather than those things you cant
2. Support your cause with evidence - remember what you did on an occassion when this went the way you wanted it to go and you were successful
3. Take your mind of the 'problem' or doubt by thinking of something trivial -recite the winning team from the 1979 cup final ( i have no idea who that was but make a guess at it anyway!)
4. If this is your dream visualise it the exact way you want it to play out - imagine walking into that presentation, who in front of you? When it goes well what will they say to you? How does it make you feel?
5. Try a positive affirmation when working towards something important to you - before I became life coach i began acting like one and telling myself I am a successful life coach
6. Model yourself on somebody you know and admire -how would they succeed in this situation? What would they say? What qualities of theirs can you "borrow"? How do they stand?What else make them appear calm and confident when you look at them? Remember their posture, their voice their clothes.

I'm using these techniques at the moment and take it from me they work!

James
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