How to Get Over Your Fear and Self Doubt

In this blog, I’ll be covering:

• The #1 belief you need to get rid of if you want to be successful
• WHY fear and self-doubt comes up and gets in the way
• How to SHIFT your mindset so that you can make a bigger impact

My name is Gwen Lane and I help digital influencers (that means content creators, bloggers YouTubers, Instagrammers, even coaches and small biz owners - anyone who has an audience that they want to impact online) how to build their brand, grow their following and monetize their influence.

So first off, let’s talk about fear and self-doubt. Self-doubt comes from fear, so let’s dive deeper to talk about what you may be experiencing. I believe that the only thing that stops us is fear, it’s only when we learn how to deal with our fear that we can take action and move forward in spite of it.

Biologically, our fear is there to protect us. It kicks in when our brain thinks we are in danger. So the fear that happens when we think we’re about to be attacked by someone, is actually the same fear that comes up when you’re about to share a personal story on social media. It’s the same symptoms all around. Think of whatever you’re scared of - heights, flying, public speaking, having to face something or someone. It’s the same experience.

And because this is biological, it’s always going to be there. The fear is never going away. So the #1 belief you need to get rid of right now if you want to be successful is that you need to be FEARLESS to be successful. That actually is impossible. Everyone will always have fear, it’s an instinct and it’s there to protect us. The goal here is to not be FEARLESS but to take action despite of the fear, to learn to live with that fear and how to overcome it. e

Now the thing is, our physical body and brain does not know the difference between getting attacked and posting on social media. But our mind does and that’s what we need to work on. And that’s WHY fear and self-doubt comes up and gets in the way - your body doesn’t know the difference and it’s up to you to develop a strong mindset to overcome this fear (more on that later)

So let’s say you’re with a kid and you guys are going bike riding for the first time. This kid has never been on a bike before, maybe they’ve seen something bad like someone falling off - and they’re scared. Now, because you’ve probably ridden a bike and learned how to do it - you know it’s not something they need to be afraid of. So what would you tell them - Kid, it’s gonna be okay. Take a deep breath. What’s the worst that can happen. If you go too fast, push the brakes. You’re wearing a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, everything is gonna be okay. The worst that can happen - a little fall maybe, a scraped knee, a little bruise. But you definitely don’t want to rob this kid of the joy of riding a bike for the first time. The wind in their face, speeding downhill, it’s amazing. BUT they have to get through the fear and even if they’re scared, they just have to do it anyway.

So here’s the thing, in this business and in the online industry - there’s no getting out of it. You’re going to have to put yourself out there. That’s the only way you can help people - that’s the upside. But you have to get over those fears - that fear of being judged because someone out there is waiting for you to share your message.

The good thing is now that you’re aware of the fear and why it even comes up, you can start to notice it, realize it and then work on your mindset.

So how do you go about that?

So now that you know your brain just wants to protect you, you have to train your mind.

And here are some ways to shift your mindset so that you can focus on the impact you want to make versus the fears that come up:

1. Practice Meditation

I’ve been practicing daily meditation and it’s done wonders for mindset. It really quiets the thoughts that are running around in my brain and I could focus on my breathing and really calm my mind.

I’ve been using the Calm app the last couple months and there’s a new daily meditation every single day plus a library, music, sleep stories and masterclasses. I really recommend doing this every single day, it doesn’t have to be a big thing. It can just be a few minutes a day and ideally, in the beginning of the day so you can start your day with a clear and centered mind.

2. Visualization

It’s really important to get clear on your vision and what you really want in your life. That way, that vision can guide you and your decisions. And you’ll be more aware if you’re acting out of fear or in alignment with your vision. This means taking a few minutes to visualize where you want to be - it could be a year from now, three, five or ten. I like to visualize where my business will be, the faces of the people I’ve helped and it really motivates me to take action today so that I can get there

3. Journaling

This is really helpful especially for those who always have a lot of thoughts and ideas running around in their mind. Now meditation is great for this but after meditation, they could just come back.

I like to journal and write everything down on paper so it’s transferred from my brain down into a physical element. I can see everything and organize it and I always feel relief after this because it’s no longer a bunch of jumbled thoughts and ideas.

So those are the 3 things that I do to shift my mindset from fear and self-doubt.