There are countless moments in life when one is plagued by self-doubt. The very purpose of doubt is to raise a question and provoke your mind to re-examine what it thinks it knows or believes.

Doubt enters all. However, successful people do not allow doubt to creep in and influence them.

Here are a few ways to get past self-doubt:

1. Trust your gut –

Oprah Winfrey was fired from Baltimore’s WJZ-TV because the channel felt that she got too “emotionally involved” with the stories she reported. She was given a daytime position (which was considered a huge step down in the news world). However, she used the same ability, her empathy with her guests, to turn that program into the highly successful “Oprah Winfrey Show.” Oprah trusted her inner wisdom and acknowledged what made her unique.

2. Keep sight of the big picture –

When you are aligned with your vision and committed to its achievement, obstacles are transformed into learning tools and self-doubt starts to melt away. Clarity of vision gives you a sense of direction and understanding of your path ahead.

3. Get moving –

Over-analysis leads to paralysis. The best way out is to take your end objective as a reference point and your values and principles as your guide. Then, choose your path and take the next onward step. Taking this step, however small or inconsequential, frees up your energy and sets the ball rolling – helping you storm through a fretful situation.

4. Refrain from judgment –

We are conditioned by society to appropriate blame, but this blaming behavior rarely helps. A better approach is to develop compassion for self, founded on the understanding that we are not supposed to be perfect, just the best we can be in any given situation. Use this understanding to become more aware of repetitive and constricting patterns of thinking.

5. Separate the experience from the drama –

Our minds conjure up a lot of drama around an actual experience, which is not only exaggerated but also consumes a lot of our energy. Furthermore, constantly focusing on such manufactured memories amplifies our self-doubt and creates self-fulfilling consequences. So, get in the habit of challenging your doubt. Ask probing questions. Strip it bare. Detach yourself from the experience and view it objectively. This will clear up the unnecessary clutter and illuminate new ideas on how to respond to the situation.

How about you? Do you allow self-doubt to prevent you from doing what you know is right? What measures do you take to overcome your doubts?