4 Times Self-Doubt Can Help You in Your Career - The Muse

4 Times Self-Doubt Can Help You in Your Career - The Muse4 Times Self-Doubt Can Help You in Your CareerHeres a fact about self-doubt Everyone has it. Even some of the most famous people have suffered from self-doubt. Lady Gaga revealed in herbei documentary that she sometimes feels like a loser kid in high school. Arianna Huffington calls the negative self-talk in her head her obnoxious roommate. And like the supreme athlete she is, Serena Williams manages to pull through physically to overcome a negative mental state.Theres plenty of great advice on ways to conquer it. But- bear with me here- it actually has some benefits if you learn how to think about it the right way.So before you swat that negative feeling away and let it cripple your confidence, remind yourself of these four things 1. Self-Doubt Motivates You to Keep Learning and GrowingDoubting yourself every once in a while makes you want to continue to better yourself- for example, questioning a skill you have and deciding t o take a class on it or being unsure about a strategy and asking your co-worker for advice. Without it, your skills and knowledge would stagnate. Theres nothing like a little self-doubt to spur you to put in mora effort, try harder, or pick up some extra training to stay fresh. This ultimately makes you feel confident, sets you up to move forward in your career, and, better yet, opens doors that can lead to the discovery of a new field you might enjoy.Want to Keep Learning and Growing? Read This 45 Free Online Classes You Can Take (and Finish) by the End of This Year2. Self-Doubt Keeps You HumbleYoure human, which means that youre aware that youre going to make mistakes and not know certain things. And that self-awareness and honesty makes you someone people can trust, count on, and feel comfortable working with. After all, no one wants to hire a narcissist- imagine the poor team skills Self-doubt also encourages you to see all sides of a situation- youre willing to consider options outside your expertise and thus able to make smarter decisions. Think about it Whens the last time you ran an idea by your boss or colleague just to be sure it was a good one? Did that conversation help you to refine and perfect your idea? Chances are it did- or at least forced you to ask yourself more questions and try different paths.Want a Few Tips on Staying Humble? Read This 3 Questions to Ask After Your Boss Shuts Your Idea Down (Again)3. Self-Doubt Can Highlight Red Flags That Spur Action to Something BetterIf you find yourself feeling really insecure about something, its possible that youre working on something youre not qualified to do or youre in the wrong role or at the wrong company. Knowing this encourages you to take actions to actually fix it. You might decide to move on to work that brings you more satisfaction. Or, you might decide to talk to your boss about your concerns. Either way, you wouldnt improve your situation without a little self-doubt.Want a Push in the Right Direction? Read This How to Tell Your Boss Youre leid Happy at Work4. Self-Doubt Can Create More Honest and Transparent ConversationsIf youre doubting yourself, this can spur a much-needed conversation with your boss about your career trajectory, your workload, or your current assignment. Perhaps shes given you a stretch assignment thats caused you to feel anxious or said something in a meeting that put you off. An open and honest discussion might prompt her faith in your ability to overcome your fear and be the insight and boost you need to move forward.Want Help Starting Those Conversations? Read This How to Tell Your Boss Youre Lost Without Feeling Stupid (Email Template Included)Count the number of times you pursued something, anything- a course, a new hobby, a new job. Did you go into it with 100% certainty that you could do it? Of course you didnt. But that bit of self-doubt made the experience that much more enlightening and challenging.Its OK to have self-doubt someti mes, and accepting that will put you in a healthier position to assess your career goals and refresh how they align with your strengths. Remember that everyone and everything is a work in progress, so the next time you feel a bit of self-doubt creep in, dont let it overwhelm you- use it to your advantage.