We All Suffer From Self-Doubt

In 1902, in an article in a Swedish Journal, the phrase, “I think I can” appeared for the first time in print. Several different adaptations of it were later woven into stories until finally, in 1920, “The Little Engine That Could” was written by Mary C. Jacobs and published in children’s books sold door to door. In later years, there became several versions of the same tale until finally, in 1930, the story became popular.

In the tale, a long train must be pulled over a high mountain after its engine breaks down. Larger engines are asked to pull the train, but, for various reasons, they refuse. The request is sent to a small engine, who agrees to try. It then succeeds in pulling the train over the mountain while repeating its motto: “I-think-I-can.” The moral of the story is that only those willing to try have a chance to succeed.

We all face self-doubt like that little train. We all hear voices inside our heads telling us we cannot do something, voices that plant a negative seed before we attempt a new endeavor. Self-doubt is part of our everyday life and those who remove as much self-doubt as they can ultimately achieve more. So, how do we remove self-doubt? How do we silence those inner voices? It’s not easy, but here are 5 ways to help us get started:

1. Embrace any doubt as a friend, not foe. You will make mistakes, you will not bat .1000, but there is no sense in fighting yourself over trying. Dr. Kristin Neff, a self-compassion expert, says, “Don’t beat yourself up for beating yourself up.”

2. Doubts are not truths. In fact, doubt your doubts. You can make it up the mountain.

3. Your inner voice is not your friend — ignore the cries for playing it safe. Talk to your inner voice as if you were talking to your best friend. Tell it to shut up.

4. A dream is not a lie if it doesn’t come true. Please don’t give up on your dreams. They all won’t happen, but we need to keep dreaming and trying.

5. Do something every day that you might never have done before. Swim in the ocean, do a crossword puzzle, play chess, anything outside your normal behavior. You can do it.

And each time someone tells you that you can’t, tell them, “I think I can.” It’s still the best advice after all these years for self-doubt.

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