Not again. I'm about to hit "submit" for a writing pitch. But my finger is stuck on the "enter" key. It's just hovering over it, refusing to budge. That inner voice - I call it The Evil Eye from the Lord of the Rings, watching my every move - is telling me I'm not worth it.
As a creative freelancer with a nasty habit of putting myself down for no reason, self-doubt is my main barrier to success in the industry.
And by success, I mean believing my work's worth something.
I have bills to pay and dreams to feed. I must trust my skills and ability to do decent things - fast.
So I've concocted a master plan to put The Evil Eye in its place and break free from this job-hunting and pitching rut. I call it the 5-Step Scheme (for survival).
It's a work in progress, but it's working all right. If you're battling with self-doubt, here's my plan for you.
Step 1: Find your zone of genius
Your zone of genius is "the sweet spot between what you're great at and what fulfills you at work" (Business Insider). If you can pinpoint that, you're on a one-way road to purpose, confidence and showing your inner critic what you’re all about.
According to Gay Hendricks, writer of The Big Leap, our brain is divided into 4 working zones:
- The zone of incompetence: You’re bad at this.
- The zone of neutrality: You're OK at this.
- The zone of excellence: You're good at this, but meh.
- The zone of genius: You excel at this and love doing it.
The magic happens in the last two – revealing everything you're good at.
How to find your zone of genius:
1) Identify your skills from worst to best.
Rate your skills on a 1 to 10 scale to see where you stand with each one.
Need help to find your top skills? Ask yourself these questions:
- What work makes you forget you're working? Think of three moments when you were so into your work that you forgot lunch was a thing.
- What projects feel like a perfect blend of fun and productivity?
- Any applause-worthy moments from clients or co-workers?
- What can you offer your clients that others in your gig can't?
2) Draw your graph.
Plot your skills on a graph to locate your zone of genius, following Sahil Bloom’s model. Stick that graph where you can see it daily. Let it remind you of all your talents.
3) Reach your inner whiz.
OK, you've found your zone of genius. Now you need to level up and get into it. This takes practice and patience. Hendricks says, "Commitment is the gateway to the zone of genius." He recommends "blocking out just ten minutes a day (...) to devote to cultivating (your) genius."
Which brings us to step 2.
Step 2: Practice and learn
Take online courses. Meet people that do things you admire. Read a lot. Travel. Get out of your comfort zone.
You need to practice to improve the skills you've identified above.
As you continue to better yourself, self-doubt will gradually go back into hibernation mode, letting you chase the dreams (and clients) that matter to you.
Step 3: Seek feedback
Feedback can be tough to hear, but at least it's coming from others rather than your inner troll - which is often harder to please. Seek constructive feedback from clients, peers, and mentors to help you objectively assess your skills. For example, you could ask them:
- What did you like about our work together?
- Where can I improve?
- Would you refer me to others?
Step 4: Reframe negative thoughts
Self-doubt often stems from negative beliefs about ourselves. Whenever you feel self-doubt creeping in, challenge those negative thoughts by reframing them in a more positive light.
- Identify the negative thought. Why did it just pop in?
- Challenge the thought. Is there evidence to support this thought? Is it a fact or just an assumption?
- Reframe the thought. Replace it with a positive or neutral thought. For example, instead of "I'm not good enough," try "I'm still learning and growing."
- Repeat the new thought whenever the negative belief makes a comeback.
Step 5: Hit submit
You've got your self-doubt in check, a certified zone of genius and a brain brimming with new knowledge. You can now hit submit without hesitation. After all, what's to lose?
Good luck, and remember: we all have something wonderful to offer to others. Some of us may simply need more time to find it.
N.B: In the meantime, here’s a comic strip about me looking for a job.
Written by Maylis Moubarak, a multifaceted content marketer.
Not again. I'm about to hit "submit" for a writing pitch. But my finger is stuck on the "enter" key. It's just hovering over it, refusing to budge. That inner voice - I call it The Evil Eye from the Lord of the Rings, watching my every move - is telling me I'm not worth it.
As a creative freelancer with a nasty habit of putting myself down for no reason, self-doubt is my main barrier to success in the industry.
And by success, I mean believing my work's worth something.
I have bills to pay and dreams to feed. I must trust my skills and ability to do decent things - fast.
So I've concocted a master plan to put The Evil Eye in its place and break free from this job-hunting and pitching rut. I call it the 5-Step Scheme (for survival).
It's a work in progress, but it's working all right. If you're battling with self-doubt, here's my plan for you.
Step 1: Find your zone of genius
Your zone of genius is "the sweet spot between what you're great at and what fulfills you at work" (Business Insider). If you can pinpoint that, you're on a one-way road to purpose, confidence and showing your inner critic what you’re all about.
According to Gay Hendricks, writer of The Big Leap, our brain is divided into 4 working zones:
- The zone of incompetence: You’re bad at this.
- The zone of neutrality: You're OK at this.
- The zone of excellence: You're good at this, but meh.
- The zone of genius: You excel at this and love doing it.
The magic happens in the last two – revealing everything you're good at.
How to find your zone of genius:
1) Identify your skills from worst to best.
Rate your skills on a 1 to 10 scale to see where you stand with each one.
Need help to find your top skills? Ask yourself these questions:
- What work makes you forget you're working? Think of three moments when you were so into your work that you forgot lunch was a thing.
- What projects feel like a perfect blend of fun and productivity?
- Any applause-worthy moments from clients or co-workers?
- What can you offer your clients that others in your gig can't?
2) Draw your graph.
Plot your skills on a graph to locate your zone of genius, following Sahil Bloom’s model. Stick that graph where you can see it daily. Let it remind you of all your talents.
3) Reach your inner whiz.
OK, you've found your zone of genius. Now you need to level up and get into it. This takes practice and patience. Hendricks says, "Commitment is the gateway to the zone of genius." He recommends "blocking out just ten minutes a day (...) to devote to cultivating (your) genius."
Which brings us to step 2.
Step 2: Practice and learn
Take online courses. Meet people that do things you admire. Read a lot. Travel. Get out of your comfort zone.
You need to practice to improve the skills you've identified above.
As you continue to better yourself, self-doubt will gradually go back into hibernation mode, letting you chase the dreams (and clients) that matter to you.
Step 3: Seek feedback
Feedback can be tough to hear, but at least it's coming from others rather than your inner troll - which is often harder to please. Seek constructive feedback from clients, peers, and mentors to help you objectively assess your skills. For example, you could ask them:
- What did you like about our work together?
- Where can I improve?
- Would you refer me to others?
Step 4: Reframe negative thoughts
Self-doubt often stems from negative beliefs about ourselves. Whenever you feel self-doubt creeping in, challenge those negative thoughts by reframing them in a more positive light.
- Identify the negative thought. Why did it just pop in?
- Challenge the thought. Is there evidence to support this thought? Is it a fact or just an assumption?
- Reframe the thought. Replace it with a positive or neutral thought. For example, instead of "I'm not good enough," try "I'm still learning and growing."
- Repeat the new thought whenever the negative belief makes a comeback.
Step 5: Hit submit
You've got your self-doubt in check, a certified zone of genius and a brain brimming with new knowledge. You can now hit submit without hesitation. After all, what's to lose?
Good luck, and remember: we all have something wonderful to offer to others. Some of us may simply need more time to find it.
N.B: In the meantime, here’s a comic strip about me looking for a job.
Written by Maylis Moubarak, a multifaceted content marketer.
Further Reading
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