What do you think is the greatest impediment to you becoming a better leader? What is that one thing that hinders you from success? I’m sure that you can think of many things but it all boils down to one thing. Self-doubt. In order to become a better leader or successful, you yourself have to take that first step to achieve your goal. Your family and friends might be encouraging you but the decision is all up to you. Do you have the courage to take on that journey to becoming a better leader or are you content with where you are right now? Do you have the willpower to erase those negative thoughts and become the leader you are meant to be?

All of us have negative thoughts. Even the best leaders experience negative self-talk. What makes them great at their leadership roles is that they are able to overcome those negative thoughts. Easier said than done. We’ve all been there and we know it’s no small task. What’s worse is that those thoughts become more pronounced and louder the bigger the challenge is. The good news is that there are many ways to overcome it. Here are some of them.

Read Them Out Loud

Here’s a simple exercise that will tremendously help you in overcoming self-doubt. Write them all down and read them out loud. Those negative thoughts whispering in your head will not seem that bad when you read them out loud. In fact, most will even sound ridiculous and absurd. As negative thoughts are a big contributor to stress, this exercise will also help you relieve some unwanted stress. So whenever you are faced with a big challenge and your inner pessimist starts bugging you with unwanted thoughts, write them, read them out loud, and embrace the challenge.

Empty Your Mind

Most if not some people underestimate the power of meditation. In a fast-paced world, your mind is running at top speed to keep up with your daily activities. At this rate, it becomes difficult to get a handle on your thoughts and emotions especially when self-doubt takes a hold of you. Not slowing down can make it even worse as the bigger the challenge, the more negative thoughts start swirling in your mind. So what do you do? Keep going and hope they go away? No. Just stop and clear your mind. When you feel that self-doubt is starting to creep its way into you, meditate. It will help you flush all the negativity and make space for more positive thoughts.