The Sunday Mail
Changing Perspectives
Rutendo Gwatidzo
HAVE you ever been so excited about an idea or new project that you lose sleep over it?
You feel you cannot think of anything else but to embark on the upcoming challenge.
However, when the moment comes, you begin to bombard yourself with “what if” questions.
These questions may hit you so hard that you let go when you are about to hit the “go” button.
One of the greatest enemies of progress is self-doubt.
According to the Forbes report of September 2022, we learn the most from our mistakes and failures.
Do not allow past failures or failure of others get in your way.
One author once said: “Doubt kills more dreams than failure will.”
Some people do not enjoy what they do in life and this is the reason they sometimes have self-doubt.
The moment you begin to wonder if you will ever be happy means you would have invited doubt.
Negative conversations with yourself drain your confidence and make you feel incapable of doing what you want to do.
We are all good at something. Just recognise what you are good at and do that.
Encourage yourself
Instead of waiting for recognition or approval from others on what you can do, simply fuel yourself with past achievements.
If you did it before, you can do it again. Many people do not celebrate themselves but wait for others to celebrate them.
Develop a habit of reviewing your own work to see areas to improve and get as many lessons as possible.
In the workplace, apart from the targets you get from your managers, set your own and review yourself before the manager does.
Self-review will probably give you time to adjust, correct errors and set yourself for success before the formal performance review.
It is important to surround yourself with people who are pursuing the same goals as yours.
Those who did it before will help you realise that it is achievable and those doing it will help you know that you are not alone.
Many people focus too much on what may go wrong more than on what may go right.
This causes a good number to fail.
Stop waiting for the perfect time to embark on something because a perfect time might never come.
Once it looks good, go for it.
Learn to take criticism and when you feel it is no longer constructive, just filter and take what you should.
Combine your passion with determination and this will bring success.
With determination, even if you walk on thorns, you may not feel them until you arrive.
You do not get what you want by doubting and procrastinating — get up and get going.
Self-doubt is real.
Not being able to make decisions can be a result of self-doubt.
You have what it takes.
Just unleash the potential in you by starting.
Author Mary Anne Radmacher once said: “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says, ‘I will try again tomorrow’.”
Do not remain paralysed by doubt but free yourself by doing what is supposed to be done. Just give it a try.
General facts
Some people probably call you lazy when it is not really the case.
Some people are very confident talking yet very doubtful and fearful when it comes to doing.
I believe that sometimes what pursues you determines your speed.
Get out of the comfort zone and sit on the edge, where you know that if you fall, you are gone, and you will see that you have it in you not to fall.
I believe doubt is something that almost everyone can relate to.
It is nothing new under the sun.
To overcome it, share your fears with others and you may find solutions to getting started.
Be encouraged to give it a try.
Be challenged to be known for action and be inspired to keep trying.
Do not allow doubt to define who you are.
You are destined for greatness.
Rutendo Gwatidzo is a culture and change management strategist. She is an HR consultant, speaker, mentor and author of the book Born to Fight. Contact details — 0714575805/ [email protected] / Rutendo Gwatidzo official fb public page.
