SIGN #1 — YOU’RE STRIVING TO BE ‘PERFECT’

Do you set incredibly high standards — then beat yourself up if you fail to reach them? Perfectionism is often a major source of the self-doubt holding you back in your career.

You’re obsessed with what others think and worried about getting ‘perfect’ results. Then, become so overwhelmed by the size of the goals you set for yourself that you procrastinate. In extreme cases, you never put your ideas out into the world.

You also struggle to let go and tend to micro-manage — believing no-one can complete a task as well as you and it’s easier to do it yourself.

One client spent so much time perfecting her work that she ended up writing off many hours she couldn’t bill. This left her with limited capacity to take on new client work and struggling to meet her targets.

To break through this, commit to taking imperfect action. Realise there’s no such thing as ‘perfect’ and nothing can ever be 100% complete. So do your best and aim for ‘good enough’.

Start celebrating your successes and reframing failure as learning. Write down your daily accomplishments — and acknowledge the progress towards your goals.

When you take imperfect action, you will break through the self-doubt holding you back.

SIGN #2 — YOU’RE ‘SHOULDING’ ALL OVER YOURSELF

Are you ignoring what you ‘want’ in favour of what you think you ‘should’ do? You’re putting everyone and everything ahead of yourself — at work and in all areas of your life. This is another sign self-doubt is limiting your career potential.

You tell yourself: ‘I should’, ‘have to’, ‘must’ and ‘can’t’. Limiting language which leaves you feeling powerless, like you have no choice. As opposed to: ‘I want to’.

For many of my clients, this looks like saying yes to every project — even when your calendar’s already full.

People pleasing and trying to ‘do it all’ stems from a deep need to feel liked, appreciated and validated. Practice self-compassion and take the time to acknowledge who you are, your best qualities. Give yourself space to say no, set boundaries and prioritise your needs first.

When you focus on what you WANT, you will shift the self-doubt that’s been sabotaging your career success.

SIGN #3 — YOU’RE A WORKAHOLIC

Do you push yourself to work longer and harder than everyone else? You’re regularly the first or last person in the office — even though you’ve completed your work and don’t need to be there.

You try to prove yourself to others by overworking. Because deep down, you’re worried you’re not good enough. But this self-doubt leads to burnout and negatively impacts your important relationships.

I remember when I never took holidays (let alone a lunch break) without feeling lazy or guilty for switching off!

If you can relate, stop seeking the approval of others to feel good about yourself. Validate yourself first and you’ll know where to draw the line with overworking. Take time out to combat stress, avoid burnout and bring yourself back into balance.

When you build your self-worth, you will beat the cycle of overworking.

SIGN #4 — YOU NEED TO BE THE BEST

Growing up, were you praised for your intelligence or things that came easily to you? If so, you may have developed the belief you need to achieve things quickly and easily. But when something takes time to master, you experience self-doubt and feel like you’ve failed.

You’re naturally competitive and believe you need to be the best — without a lot of effort. Yet if you don’t get it right on the first go, you quit. You may even avoid trying new things or hesitate to ask for help, thinking you should already know the answer.

Realise we all have strengths — and weaknesses. The most successful people operate from their zone of genius and get support from people who have strengths where they don’t.

When you focus on your next, best step and let go of the pressure to perform, you will overcome self-doubt.

SIGN #5 — YOU’RE STUCK IN COMPARISONITIS

Are you constantly comparing yourself to others? You see the latest shiny LinkedIn announcement and feel jealous or frustrated by your lack of progress. It seems like everyone else is getting to where you want to be — and faster.

When you’re caught in career comparison, your inner mean girl or guy will be running rampant. You feel inadequate, lose confidence and stop taking action towards your professional goals.

One senior leader I worked with stayed silent in meetings because she was worried her ideas weren’t as good as everyone else’s. But this meant she wasn’t being seen by the people who could promote her.

To stop comparison, collect evidence of your unique strengths and achievements — like positive feedback from clients, your boss or performance reviews. Keep it somewhere visible and revisit it any time self-doubt creeps in.

Use the success of others as inspiration for what’s possible for you too. But stay focused on your own lane — not whether you’re behind or ahead.

When you start owning your unique value, you will move forward with confidence.

Self-doubt can be crippling to your career and stop you reaching your full potential. These insights have helped my clients identify the ways it holds them back and how to overcome it. I hope they support you too! 

Ready to find clarity, overcome self-doubt and create a strategy to move forward with confidence​? The patterns we’ve explored here are exactly what we work through inside Ignite Your Career.

Book your free 30 minute consult HERE to get started!

Stacey Back is The Career Planning Specialist, an executive career coach and speaker. She helps high-achievers at a career crossroads find the work that lights them up, increase their income, impact and create a career + life on their terms. Stacey works virtually with individuals and organisations based across the globe.