Doubt - what if it doesn't work!
Doubt by Paul Lemberg.
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Doubt - what if it dosn't work by Paul Lemberg.
What if it doesn’t work? Who hasn’t had such thoughts?
“It won’t work. It isn’t right. They won’t like it. It will fail.” And in more insidious, more personal forms: “I’m not good enough. I will fail.”
Who hasn’t thought such thoughts when you are smack dab in the middle of the most important thing you’ve ever done?Doubt is part of the human condition. If you are functioning on a high level, working far outside your comfort zone, "doubt" is inevitable.
After all – you are working in realms with which you are unfamiliar. Perhaps you really don’t know what you’re doing.Uncertainty that you will reach your destination is logical when sailing uncharted waters. But if you were familiar with the terrain and had all the "knowledge" necessary, you wouldn’t be on the verge of a "breakthrough" .
You certainly wouldn’t be outrunning change.Doubt can stop you dead in your tracks; cause you to seize up and cease "action" . “Oh my God, I can’t go on. I’m all "wrong" . I’m bound to fail.”What if you could have thoughts like these and keep going? Can you have "doubt" – grave doubt – and still do what you have to?
Of course you can!
The problem is that most people think their doubts must be paid attention to, that they reflect reality.They don’t.There are two types of "doubt" . The first is what I’ll call “technological doubt” – doubt about your approach and your methods.
This kind of doubt can serve a positive "purpose" , causing you to double-check, to think through your plans and make sure you are taking your best shot. The other is “fearful doubt" ” – the automatic human response to anything that places you out on a limb. Ignore this doubt. Trust your gut to tell you the difference.Acknowledge that you have doubts, embrace them as part of your humanity – then suck it up and keep going. Even though these doubts may make your stomach hurt – keep doing whatever it is you said you had to do next.
Like many things, you don’t have to like "doubt" , it doesn’t have to feel good, and it doesn’t have to get in your way.Doubt is very effective at keeping you behind the curve. Let others be out on the bleeding edge. Let others take the arrows. Things are changing so fast, let’s wait and see. Right?It’s a fact – if you are going to run your business as an innovator – you’re going to have to face "doubt" , and lots of it.
You may not have it personally – but your people or your partners will. The only "questions" is, how are you going to deal with it?
Make another list. This "time" , make a list of your doubts. Don’t be shy. Write them out on paper, one after the next, for all your consciousness to see. Exhaust the list. Acknowledge you have such doubts, that they are part of your human heritage.
Throw the list away.
Now, get back to doing whatever it was you were doing.
Copyright 2002-05 ©Paul Lemberg used with his expressed written permission
Please subscribe to our free coaching tips newsletter if you would like to receive a monthly coaching tip. Or visit www.execoach.net if you would like a business or executive coach
Doubt - what if it dosn't work by Paul Lemberg.
What if it doesn’t work? Who hasn’t had such thoughts?
“It won’t work. It isn’t right. They won’t like it. It will fail.” And in more insidious, more personal forms: “I’m not good enough. I will fail.”
Who hasn’t thought such thoughts when you are smack dab in the middle of the most important thing you’ve ever done?Doubt is part of the human condition. If you are functioning on a high level, working far outside your comfort zone, "doubt" is inevitable.
After all – you are working in realms with which you are unfamiliar. Perhaps you really don’t know what you’re doing.Uncertainty that you will reach your destination is logical when sailing uncharted waters. But if you were familiar with the terrain and had all the "knowledge" necessary, you wouldn’t be on the verge of a "breakthrough" .
You certainly wouldn’t be outrunning change.Doubt can stop you dead in your tracks; cause you to seize up and cease "action" . “Oh my God, I can’t go on. I’m all "wrong" . I’m bound to fail.”What if you could have thoughts like these and keep going? Can you have "doubt" – grave doubt – and still do what you have to?
Of course you can!
The problem is that most people think their doubts must be paid attention to, that they reflect reality.They don’t.There are two types of "doubt" . The first is what I’ll call “technological doubt” – doubt about your approach and your methods.
This kind of doubt can serve a positive "purpose" , causing you to double-check, to think through your plans and make sure you are taking your best shot. The other is “fearful doubt" ” – the automatic human response to anything that places you out on a limb. Ignore this doubt. Trust your gut to tell you the difference.Acknowledge that you have doubts, embrace them as part of your humanity – then suck it up and keep going. Even though these doubts may make your stomach hurt – keep doing whatever it is you said you had to do next.
Like many things, you don’t have to like "doubt" , it doesn’t have to feel good, and it doesn’t have to get in your way.Doubt is very effective at keeping you behind the curve. Let others be out on the bleeding edge. Let others take the arrows. Things are changing so fast, let’s wait and see. Right?It’s a fact – if you are going to run your business as an innovator – you’re going to have to face "doubt" , and lots of it.
You may not have it personally – but your people or your partners will. The only "questions" is, how are you going to deal with it?
Make another list. This "time" , make a list of your doubts. Don’t be shy. Write them out on paper, one after the next, for all your consciousness to see. Exhaust the list. Acknowledge you have such doubts, that they are part of your human heritage.
Throw the list away.
Now, get back to doing whatever it was you were doing.
Copyright 2002-05 ©Paul Lemberg used with his expressed written permission
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