Self-doubt is a killer. But what is worse is when you see how many super intelligent people with great ideas allow themselves to get paralyzed by it. Their solution: look for constant validation from others.
In the workplace this translates into questioning decisions that have already been made, asking opinions from everyone and their mother, trying to find some thread of certainty so that they can be sure they have made the "right" decision.
When you are in the throes of self doubt, I invite you to consider:
a) if you ask 12 different people you will get 12 different answers, b) When you ask someone on the spot who has not had all the time you have had to go through the thought process, they will usually give you the easiest, most comfortable answer that comes to them, which is Keep Things the Same. c)Why do we think these people know better? d) You will feel worse the more people you ask e) the only certainty is what is uncertain.
In the end, the people who invite too many cooks into the kitchen never get the soup made. And, unfortunately, all of the back and forth emails, comments, criticisms, conversations, hesitations may make you feel busy, but, guess what, they are not really work. They are excuses NOT to change.
You want to be daring, courageous, innovative, cunning, respected? Make a decision. Even if it's the wrong one, you're still proving you're ready to go somewhere.
