Breaking Through Mental Barriers: Strategies for Entrepreneurs to Overcome Self-Doubt

Introduction

It can be good to talk about all the good and positive aspects of being a entrepreneur.

But it would not serve us well if we are not aware of the challenging or negative sides of it.

In this case we will be talking about self doubt, negative self talk, disbelief in ourselves and our abilities and any other barriers that prevent us from being the kind of leader we really wish to be.

Every successful entrepreneur has faced this, but what made them successful is how they found ways to overcome these obstacles.

These things were unable to stop them because they found techniques, trainings and education on how to deal with them. This meant they were able to hold them and have it not hinder them as much.

Disbelief, lack of education and even certain beliefs and fears have prevented people to grow and expand in the way they ought to.

Overcoming these fears and barriers is possible if you have the right education and apply it to yourself.

The appropriate information and teachers are out there.

The real question is, are you willing to invest in yourself to get the teachers and information, to overcome these limitations?

Or are you just going to keep having these challenges and essentially do nothing about it.

Thinking you can just work with these hidden factors on your back?

Harnessing Visualisation: Turning Doubt into Determination

While having a vision is important, it is important to note how it can help in various ways.

If you do feel unsure or doubtful, referring back to your vision is usually a way to bring you back.

A great way to do this is to visualise your vision daily.

It works to do this often because it trains your brain to only focus on what you want and not on what you dont want. It's best to do it before you feel challenged, but it can also be useful to go back to your visualisations if you do feel the doubt or the challenge creeping in.

Visualisation is kind of like a 'self -programming' technique. Think of it as building muscle for your mind. You are literally training your mind to make it stronger.

The more you do it, the more it locks into your mind. Making it stick there. After a while it just becomes part of your natural thought process. It can be comforting, yet a source of strength.

Once those challenges appear, it makes it easier to switch back to the vision as your brain accepts that thought pattern.

When you are visualising, you are helping to create new neural pathways in your brain.

So anything associated and connected with this visualisation (affirmations, self talk, behaviours, actions etc.) makes it easier for your brain to latch on to. Thus keeping your mind and focus upon it.

Visualisation can be difficult to do at first, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes, the stronger your mind gets.

Empowering Self-Talk: Transforming Your Inner Dialogue To Shape a Strong Mind

The kind of inner dialogue you have, dictates how much you are willing to try and how long for.

So it can be crucial for you to have an inner dialogue that empowers you and allows you to go that extra mile when needed.

The great thing about this is that you can change this at anytime.

Through affirmations and just general empowering self talk, you can slowly over time, change how your mind operates and responds to particular stimulus.

It is very similar to visualisation, except it through the spoken word. Again, this is more effective if done on a daily basis. This is so it can enter your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind is then programmed (through appropriate self talk and visualisation) to help bring what you want about.

What tends to affect entrepreneurs is either negative beliefs, doubt, the environment we were raised or any actual external events that may happened to them.

"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this and you will find strength". - Marcus Aurelius

Belief Reset: Transforming Limiting Beliefs into Empowering Ones

Sometimes we don't know where our doubts come from.

We don't tend to realise that the beliefs that we hold can contribute to some of these doubts, the actions we choose to take or not take.

So it can be a good idea to go back to our beliefs and see if they still work for us.

Upon analyzing these beliefs, we need to see if they are holding us back by believing something that is untrue.

Or when triggered into self - doubt when any particular situation appears.

We also need to determine the source of these beliefs. Were they from out parents, the media our peers when growing up or the environment we were in or our interpretation of events that happened to us?

This is part of the analysis we need to conduct to find out where we actually learned our beliefs. Then consider the impact of them upon our life choices. If we are able to uncover these points and dissect them, this can go a great way to undo some of the damage to our psyche if needed.

This can be a great time too, because then we get our power back. This means we can now create new beliefs. Beliefs that empower us to become or do what we actually want to do.

This is something worthwhile to consider as this can free us from the mental prison that some beliefs hold us in and give us the freedom to be what we really want.

Ultimately, however, the aim is to have 'no beliefs'. None.

ALL BELIEFS, by their very nature are limiting. They only enable you to go so far before you may need to change and upgrade them.

Imagine having no beliefs and just being (and doing) without fear or trepidation.

But this is a topic for another time.

"Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look" - Marcus Aurelius

Grounded in Faith, Guided by Wisdom: Incorporating Prayer and Affirmations for Entrepreneurial Growth

Some people find it comforting to know that their is a higher power at work.

So releasing their fears and doubts through prayer and letting that higher power take over can also be useful.

That release of stress and anxiety could be just what you need to refocus, renergise and to keep going.

Prayer can offer comfort and can provide answers toy the questions you are looking for during those tough moments.

Another option is to add affirmations. These are designed to program your subconscious mind to focus and work on whatever you are affirming.

Similar to visualisation, this verbal method is a preparation tool for yourself and your mind.

They work effectively the earlier you do it and the more you do it. Training your mind and resolve like a muscle to get stronger. Also aligning your mind to focus on and keep in mind the thing you are affirming.

These are the things the strengthen your mind and so over time, self doubt and anxiety affect you less. They are also useful to go back to if you do get anxious again, to serve as a reminder and to get back that strength.

Meditation could be another option. Depending on the kind of meditation you do, it can work as a relaxant. Sometimes just relaxing and allowing your mind to just rest and not think too much about any one thing can help you forget about any doubts and allow you to rest.

Sometimes the answer to doubt is to rest and see how you feel about it after. It may have just been a temporary slump in mood.

Finally, we have ancient wisdom to refer to. It can be useful to go back to the ancient teachers and learn from them. They have various teachings that will always be appropriate. They may seem unconnected to you as an entrepreneur, but if you are a human, they will always be appropriate for you.

Here are two sources of wisdom for you to say to yourself in times of challenge.

In a future blog, these ancient words of wisdom and philosophies will be explored and explained more. For now, though, let's just receive the strength these two (prayer & mantra) can give us.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his names sake" - Psalm 23. [The Wisdom Codes - Gregg Braden]

"Om Namah Shivaya" - The Yajurveda, Vedic Mantra. [The Wisdom Codes - Gregg Braden]

Conclusion:

Self-doubt can crop up during the entrepreneurial journey, but it doesn’t have to hold you back.

With the right training, education, and support, you can transform that doubt into determination:

• Aim to relax more. Try not to allow the stress of wanting achievement so much, strangle the life out of you. Prayer, meditation and time off can help with this.

• Strengthen your mind through visualisation. This builds mental muscles for you and entrains your mind to stay focused upon your vision.

• Rewrite your mental script by becoming more aware of your beliefs. Change your internal dialogue to something that is more useful to you..

• Seek support and encouragement from your group of peers.

But sometimes, just sometimes, you may have to take that leap of faith and know that you will be ok..