When things do not go the way we plan them, it is easy to succumb to self-doubt. Whether you are trying to do something as simple as a DIY project or something as nerve-wracking as a Broadway audition, mishaps and mistakes can affect the way you perceive your own worth and abilities. It is important to recognize learning opportunities rather than shortcomings so that you can grow and continue to accomplish amazing things. Here are some easy ways to prove how strong you are (to yourself):
Write a Reverse Bucket List
If your list of things that you want to accomplish is becoming a little too heavy, try looking at your goals from a different angle – behind. Put your bucket list aside and write a reverse bucket list. This is a list of everything you have accomplished so far. It can be all of the things you have already crossed off as well as things you have done that may not have started as goals but turned out amazing anyway. Once you have written your reverse bucket list, read it and congratulate yourself. It’s not easy being as awesome as you are!
Talk Through It
Whether you are talking to a journal, yourself in the mirror, or someone close to you, sometimes, the easiest way to confirm how talented and strong you are is to verbally work through how you are feeling. When you let your worries sit and grow inside your mind without analyzing and working through them, they will only work to hurt your self-confidence. Don’t give them the chance!
Practice Thought Flipping
Next time you feel a negative thought coming forward, try turning it around. If you are thinking “I wish I had done that differently,” think instead “I know how to handle that situation better now.” Or, if you are thinking “I’ll never be able to reach that goal,” think instead “It’s going to be hard, but accomplishing this will be incredible.” Negative thoughts might seem difficult and unruly things, but flipping them around can change your mood. Keep flipping your thoughts! Eventually, it will come naturally. Before you know it, you won’t even know how to think negatively!
