You know those days when you’re in a slump, when self-doubt overcomes your mind, when you question everything?
Well, Tuesday was that day for me.
Those days come around every three months or so (according to my partner’s memory.)
Majority of the day was thinking way too much about my business, our lifestyle, our choices. I was in a head spin of questions like this:
- Why am I doing this?
- Am I the best person to be doing this?
- Will this work?
- Have we put ourselves under too much pressure?
- What would we ideally want to be doing?
And on and on it went.
As I kept running down rabbit holes of questions and responses, I noticed how my unique value was getting the better of me.
My dark passenger was showcasing the pitfalls of my talents
The curiousity, questioner inside me was actually hurting me.
It was knocking my confidence down a couple notches.
It was veering me down a road of complacency.
It was suggesting I throw in the towel.
Until I started answering my questions in a different way.
Tell yourself and your dark passenger both sides of the story
This was an exercise I created with my coach when those doubtful, harsh, and cruel questions came spewing out of my dark passenger’s mouth into my head.
Here’s what I do:
First, I write down all the questions streaming through my consciousness until I run out of questions. Just one, big, long list.
Then I write two types of responses next to each question:
- Worse case scenario – what is the worst that can happen?
- Best case scenario – what happens if everything goes well?
This puts the dark passenger in it’s place. And it returns my curious, question-asking, detective, explorer personality towards a productive, enabling place.
[Tweet “Tips on how to combat self-doubt from your dark passenger via @kapow_katie”]
Brainstorm tactics you can use to put your dark passenger in it’s place
With the three personality tests I mentioned in this post – the Fascination Advantage, Archetype, and Growth Style – the results not only generate your strengths but also pitfalls and weaknesses. Take note of the ways you might flip the coin on your talents because they will come up.
They always do, no matter how much we try to be at our best each and every day.
And while you’re in a good place, write down a list of activities, people, and/or things that you can use to help you get out of that dark rabbit hole.
That is how to combat your dark passenger and keep yourself on the uphill journey.
For the next two months, I’m posting weekly articles, interviews, and activities on defining your unique value.
Knowing, communicating, and living in this talent-focused state of being is the foundation to creating more impact for others – and this is what I want you to tap into.