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<\/p>\nIt's natural to feel like an imposter sometimes. But don't dwell on your self-doubt. Instead, the solution is to recognize your feelings as a healthy part of your professional and personal development, realize that other successful people feel the same way, understand that you already have the strengths needed, and use this fear as a tool for making even greater strides in your progression in life.<\/p>\n
I know. Easier said than done, right? There are those times when you feel like you're faking it, even as you succeed in launching a new business or project. Mark Zuckerberg felt that a few years after launching Facebook, when others were telling him to sell the business to other firms instead of sticking to his plan to keep the social media giant independent. \u201cI wondered if I was just wrong, an imposter, a twenty-two-year-old kid who had no idea how the world worked,” he admitted.<\/p>\n
Then there are those soul-crushing moments of adversity that make you wonder whether you will ever achieve your purpose. Former President Barack Obama felt that way in 2000 when he \u201cgot whupped\u201d in his effort to defeat incumbent Congressman Bobby Rush. At that point, the future president thought \u201cfor me to run and lose that bad\u2026 maybe this isn\u2019t what I was cut out to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
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When left unchecked, self-doubt can either make you indecisive on important issues or, worse, cause you to act out against colleagues and loved ones who have your back. But as Zuckerberg, Obama, and other leaders have shown, it doesn\u2019t have to be that way. By taking four steps, you will not only learn to deal with self-doubt but leverage it as part of your growth in all aspects of your life.<\/p>\n
Society makes it seem like certainty and self-confidence the norm. But as a team led by Reed College Psychology Professor Kathryn Oleson determined in a 2012 study, self-doubt is the normal consequence of the realization that life is filled with uncertainty. Even when things are great, the possibility of layoffs, business failures, even debilitating illness, can be around the corner.<\/p>\n
Self-doubt also comes as you take on new challenges and opportunities. After all, to paraphrase the disclaimer on many a mutual fund, past performance is not indicative of future results. This is especially true when a new venture takes you out of your areas of expertise and, more importantly, your comfort zone.<\/p>\n\t\t