1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,160 Instead of thinking, oh, I need to learn more before I can show 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:08,679 up and share my value, think about how much you've already learned, and 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:12,640 start to think about how exciting it is that there are still all of these 4 00:00:12,679 --> 00:00:16,679 knowledge gaps ahead of you that you will one day learn. But you can 5 00:00:16,679 --> 00:00:21,719 start by sharing what you already know, and as you start to progress and 6 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,120 move down that path, you can start to share the new things that you've 7 00:00:24,199 --> 00:00:28,000 learned. What I shared back in the first hundred episodes of this show is 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,760 so different to what I share seven hundred episodes later, because I have learned 9 00:00:31,839 --> 00:00:35,600 so much simply by showing up, by running my business, by podcasting, 10 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,600 by doing all of those things I have learned through experience, and now I 11 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:45,000 can teach through my own experiences because I've been down that path. Welcome to 12 00:00:45,079 --> 00:00:49,000 imperfect action. I'm Steph Taylor. For years, I read all the books, 13 00:00:49,119 --> 00:00:53,240 downloaded all the freebies, and did all the courses, But it wasn't 14 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:57,880 until I started taking imperfect action that my business had its first million dollars there. 15 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:04,040 Imperfect action is about doing things before you're ready, prioritizing consistent action over 16 00:01:04,079 --> 00:01:08,480 perfect action, and moving forward even when you're not sure you're doing it right. 17 00:01:10,519 --> 00:01:14,480 On this show, you can expect mindset advice, actionable marketing tips and 18 00:01:14,519 --> 00:01:18,640 strategies to build a business that brings you more profit, more freedom, and 19 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:23,959 even more joy. Are you on the list to get my daily businesses? 20 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,719 Every day, I'll send you a bite sized prompt designed to help you grow 21 00:01:26,719 --> 00:01:30,760 your business in a more intentional way. Sign up at Stephtaylor dot co, 22 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:38,640 forward slash DBB, or at the link in the show notes. Hey, 23 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,719 welcome back to Imperfect Action. This is episode seven hundred and twenty six. 24 00:01:42,359 --> 00:01:46,879 When self doubt starts to get in the way, here are a couple of 25 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:52,680 questions that you can ask yourself to try and move through it now. Self 26 00:01:52,719 --> 00:01:57,560 doubt is something that I don't think anyone is really immune to. Even when 27 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,719 you're looking at somebody who's on a stage or presenting a podcast and you're like, 28 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:06,799 Oh, that person's so confident, I can almost guarantee you that there 29 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:12,919 is some area where they are still struggling with self doubt. I remember somebody 30 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:15,719 came up to me after an event recently and they were like, Oh, 31 00:02:15,759 --> 00:02:20,400 I wish I could be a confident speaker like you. And five years ago 32 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:23,719 was the first time that I got given a microphone and put on stage by 33 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:29,879 my good friend Ronsley for his event We're Podcast back in twenty eighteen, and 34 00:02:30,039 --> 00:02:32,680 I remember having so much self doubt in the lead up to that event. 35 00:02:32,759 --> 00:02:37,840 I remember thinking, I'm speaking. I've been podcasting for six months at that 36 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:40,479 point, and all, like everyone here is a super experienced podcaster. What 37 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:44,319 on earth can I share that it's going to be a value. I don't 38 00:02:44,319 --> 00:02:46,319 know enough, I'm too new in business. All of those doubts it started 39 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:52,960 to come up. And by learning, by putting myself out there and by 40 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,599 doing more of the speaking, that is how I got through that self doubt 41 00:02:57,039 --> 00:03:00,800 and built that confidence. But then, you know, I still struggle with 42 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:04,039 self doubt in other areas that are new. For example, I've been trying 43 00:03:04,039 --> 00:03:07,919 to write a book proposal for my next book, and you know that for 44 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,840 me is a completely unfamiliar world, and there is so much doubt that comes 45 00:03:12,879 --> 00:03:15,360 up for me around who am I to write this? Do I know enough? 46 00:03:16,159 --> 00:03:20,240 Will anyone want this? All of those doubts that I know come up 47 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,120 for many of you, my listeners, whether that is in showing up online, 48 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:29,280 creating courses, working with clients, whatever, aspect of your business. 49 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,639 I know that your doubt is totally normal and it's not a sign that you 50 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:37,520 shouldn't be doing the thing that you are doing. So here are a couple 51 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,599 of questions to ask yourself to work through that self doubt. Number one, 52 00:03:42,039 --> 00:03:46,280 what am I really afraid will happen if I do this scary thing? All 53 00:03:46,319 --> 00:03:49,360 of these thoughts that you have, the self doubt that is coming up about 54 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:53,759 whether you can do it, they are just there to keep you safe from 55 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,439 something. They are there to protect you from something that you are afraid of. 56 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:01,080 So what is the fear that is beneath that doubt? For example, 57 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:05,759 are you afraid that you're gonna put all of this effort into creating a course 58 00:04:05,879 --> 00:04:10,199 and nobody's gonna want it? Are you afraid that if you start a podcast 59 00:04:10,199 --> 00:04:13,919 people are gonna judge you. Are you afraid that if you record a video 60 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,199 and post it on YouTube you're gonna embarrass yourself? Or if you send that 61 00:04:16,319 --> 00:04:18,959 pitch to be a guest on somebody's podcast, they're going to reject you. 62 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:24,360 What is the fear that is underneath the doubt? And when you know what 63 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:28,480 you are really afraid of, it's no longer about the doubts that are holding 64 00:04:28,519 --> 00:04:32,439 you back. It's about accepting that this fear is totally normal and it's gonna 65 00:04:32,439 --> 00:04:36,160 come up whenever you do anything that is outside of your comfort zone. You 66 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:40,959 know, with this book proposal, like the doubt that I'm feeling is coming 67 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,560 from this fear that I will be rejected when I send it out. Do 68 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,120 I know enough to be writing this? It's me questioning like, oh, 69 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:49,800 is somebody going to read this and laugh and be like, Ah, does 70 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,920 she think she is to write this? Right? That is the fear that 71 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:57,920 is underneath the doubt. So I like to come back and ask myself, 72 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,680 if what I'm afraid of really happy fans, what is the worst thing that 73 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,879 could happen as a result of that? So cool? If somebody rejects my 74 00:05:03,879 --> 00:05:06,319 book twelve, I've just wasted a bit of time. That's all that there 75 00:05:06,439 --> 00:05:11,439 is. But I've learned a lot in the process, and it has built 76 00:05:11,439 --> 00:05:14,759 my resilience muscle. Because the more that you try and you fail, or 77 00:05:14,759 --> 00:05:17,120 the more that you try and you get rejected, the stronger you get, 78 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,800 the easier you can bounce back from future failures, future rejections, future times 79 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:27,639 when people judge you online. Number two, Who am I doing a disservice 80 00:05:27,759 --> 00:05:31,519 by not doing this scary thing? For example, the book proposal. All 81 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:35,720 of the people who might one day read the book that I feel called to 82 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:41,959 write, I'm doing them a disservice because they can't learn and they can't read 83 00:05:41,959 --> 00:05:46,720 what I'm sharing. If I don't first do this one scary thing with this 84 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,199 podcast, if I hadn't overcome all of the self doubt that I had about 85 00:05:49,199 --> 00:05:54,399 podcasting and my voice, I didn't love my voice and all of the fears 86 00:05:54,439 --> 00:05:56,800 of what people in my life would think about me, who is she to 87 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:00,279 be starting a podcast? Then I wouldn't be helping you with this episode right 88 00:06:00,319 --> 00:06:04,439 now. Okay, So if you don't do the thing that you are afraid 89 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:09,480 of doing, who is missing out? Who are you not able to help 90 00:06:09,519 --> 00:06:13,199 as a result of you not doing that thing? And even if you're saying, 91 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:15,519 well, but Steph, like I don't have any value to share, 92 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:17,560 or yeah, okay, that's good for you, but like I need to 93 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,319 know a little bit more before I can help anyone. I'm not enough of 94 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:25,040 an expert yet. Even if you're thinking that, I want to remind you 95 00:06:25,079 --> 00:06:29,199 there's this model. A theoretical model called the stages of competence, and there 96 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,720 are four main stages where you are unconsciously incompetent. It's the first one you 97 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:38,439 don't know what you don't know essentially. Then the next one is conscious incompetence. 98 00:06:38,439 --> 00:06:42,319 It's when you first become you first start learning something and you realize just 99 00:06:42,439 --> 00:06:46,519 how much you don't know. The next stage is conscious competence, so that 100 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:48,560 is something where you have learned how to do something, but you still have 101 00:06:48,639 --> 00:06:54,199 to think about the steps involved and the process to actually doing it. And 102 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:58,560 then the final stage is unconscious competence, and that is something where you can 103 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,240 do something so well you don't even remember what it's like to not know that 104 00:07:01,319 --> 00:07:05,720 thing. And this is the stage where I see a lot of online business 105 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:11,480 owners are at. They are at this unconscious competent stage where they are so 106 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,879 good at what they do that to them, they just brush it off as 107 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:16,439 like, oh, well, everyone knows how to do that, when in 108 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:20,680 fact they actually don't. Okay, it's a little bit like driving a car 109 00:07:20,759 --> 00:07:25,720 almost You get in the car and you drive and you don't really pay any 110 00:07:25,759 --> 00:07:29,120 attention to the fact that, hey, not everybody knows how to drive. 111 00:07:29,879 --> 00:07:31,360 I'm sure there are some New Yorkers listening to this episode who are like, 112 00:07:31,399 --> 00:07:35,079 what, we don't drive, perhaps, but you know, like, there's 113 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:40,000 things that you can do almost on autopilot that you don't have to think about. 114 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,680 And those are the things where you still have so much value to share, 115 00:07:43,759 --> 00:07:46,079 even if it doesn't feel valuable to you. Okay, The third question 116 00:07:46,399 --> 00:07:50,199 to ask yourself when the doubt pops up is where are my opportunities to grow? 117 00:07:50,519 --> 00:07:54,759 So related to that last one, right, you will never know everything 118 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:59,680 you could possibly know about your particular area of expertise. You will never reach 119 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:01,199 this point where one day you are like, that is it. I am 120 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:05,920 done learning. I know everything that there is to know, Because how boring 121 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,000 would that be? Right if there's nothing left for you to learn? So 122 00:08:09,279 --> 00:08:13,319 instead of thinking, oh, I need to learn more before I can show 123 00:08:13,399 --> 00:08:18,439 up and share my value, think about how much you've already learned and start 124 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:22,160 to think about how exciting it is that there are still all of these knowledge 125 00:08:22,199 --> 00:08:26,120 gaps ahead of you that you will one day learn. But you can start 126 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:31,079 by sharing what you already know, and as you start to progress and move 127 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:33,639 down that path, you can start to share the new things that you've learned. 128 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:37,240 What I shared back in the first hundred episodes of this show is so 129 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:41,080 different to what I share seven hundred episodes later, because I have learned so 130 00:08:41,279 --> 00:08:43,960 much simply by showing up, by running my business, by podcasting, by 131 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:48,759 doing all of those things. I have learned through experience, And now I 132 00:08:48,759 --> 00:08:52,679 can teach through my own experiences because I've been down that path. So if 133 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,639 you're thinking that you have to wait until you know everything before you can show 134 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:00,000 up, you're never going to know everything. So now is probably the best 135 00:09:00,159 --> 00:09:01,799 time to start. And you know, as you learn more, you've got 136 00:09:01,799 --> 00:09:05,639 to be open to everything evolving, be open to changing your mind. Some 137 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:09,679 of the things that I said in the first hundred episodes I probably don't even 138 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:13,200 agree with now because I've had different experiences that might have proven something wrong, 139 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:18,279 or I might have realized, actually, that was probably not a helpful thing 140 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:20,679 to say to my listeners back then, or you know, I know, 141 00:09:20,759 --> 00:09:22,120 when I first started out, I said a lot of you know, you 142 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:26,080 should do this, you need to do this. Now I've changed it, 143 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,919 I'm like, well, actually, no, there's no shoulds or need tos 144 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,320 in business. It's more of a, Hey, this is my suggestion. 145 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:35,679 This is what I've learned from my experience, and you can take it on 146 00:09:35,759 --> 00:09:37,559 board, or you can choose not to. That's fine either way, but 147 00:09:37,639 --> 00:09:41,320 I'm just sharing what has worked in my experience. Number four, The fourth 148 00:09:41,399 --> 00:09:46,360 question to ask yourself when you're doubting is what could go right if I do 149 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:50,919 this scary thing. We are so quick to think of all of the things 150 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:52,799 that could go wrong when we take a risk in our business. You know, 151 00:09:52,879 --> 00:09:56,799 my launch might fail, people might laugh at my podcast episode. The 152 00:09:56,840 --> 00:10:01,799 pitch that I send out might get rejected, But you know what else could 153 00:10:01,799 --> 00:10:05,039 happen. Your launch might succeed. Your reels might reach somebody and teach them 154 00:10:05,039 --> 00:10:09,200 something they didn't know. Your pitch might get accepted. There's so many things 155 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:13,960 that can go right. It's not just one way that it can work out. 156 00:10:13,279 --> 00:10:16,679 Okay, And you're never gonna know what the outcome is gonna be until 157 00:10:16,759 --> 00:10:20,120 you do the thing. The only way to find out what that outcome will 158 00:10:20,159 --> 00:10:24,720 be is by getting out there doing the thing, not planning, not preparing, 159 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:28,639 not thinking about it. Even more, by taking that imperfect action. 160 00:10:30,279 --> 00:10:33,000 That is how you're going to find out whether it works or doesn't work, 161 00:10:33,039 --> 00:10:35,960 and if it fails, cool, you've learned something from it. You can 162 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:39,519 now take the information that you've learned from that experience and you can iterate. 163 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:43,240 You can go back to the drawing board, make changes and try again and 164 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:48,320 try better. Okay. Number five The fifth question to ask yourself when you 165 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:52,519 are doubting whether you can do something. If roles were switched, and if 166 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:56,360 it were my best friend who is in my situation right now, what would 167 00:10:56,399 --> 00:11:03,440 I tell them? We are our own worst critics sometimes, right, you 168 00:11:03,519 --> 00:11:07,440 probably wouldn't be anywhere near as critical with your friend as you are with yourself. 169 00:11:07,759 --> 00:11:11,399 You probably wouldn't tell your friend now you don't know enough to do that, 170 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:15,360 to start a podcast, or you're not ready to launch an online course. 171 00:11:15,399 --> 00:11:18,639 You wouldn't tell them those things. But yet you tell yourself those things. 172 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:22,759 Right. You'd probably tell your friend, oh, no, it's gonna 173 00:11:22,759 --> 00:11:24,320 be fine, it's gonna work out. Even if it fails, You'll be 174 00:11:24,399 --> 00:11:30,440 all good. But you don't tell yourself those things. So talking to yourself 175 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,600 as if you were a friend rather than an enemy can be a really useful 176 00:11:33,639 --> 00:11:37,919 tool to work through that self doubt. And I know it doesn't come easily, 177 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:41,720 especially to the overachievers amongst us. I am guilty of this a lot 178 00:11:41,759 --> 00:11:45,559 as well, But just remembering like you are going to be so much more 179 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:50,480 critical to yourself than somebody else would be to you. All Right, there 180 00:11:50,519 --> 00:11:54,519 you have it. Five questions to ask yourself when you are experiencing self doubt, 181 00:11:54,519 --> 00:11:58,480 when you're letting it get in the way of taking action. What am 182 00:11:58,519 --> 00:12:01,720 I really afraid will happen if I do this scary thing? Who am I 183 00:12:01,759 --> 00:12:05,240 doing a disservice by not doing this scary thing? Where are my opportunities to 184 00:12:05,399 --> 00:12:09,360 grow? What could go right if I do this thing? And if a 185 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:13,120 friend were in my shoes, what would I tell them? Now? If 186 00:12:13,159 --> 00:12:16,840 you've learned anything from this show, please take thirty seconds to leave a quick 187 00:12:16,919 --> 00:12:22,200 rating and a review in Apple podcasts. I read every single one of them. 188 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:24,720 A lot of time goes into creating this show, and a lot of 189 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:28,200 the time I feel like I am just talking to myself into a microphone. 190 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:31,960 So if you have thirty seconds to spare, I really would appreciate knowing you 191 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,799 know. What have been your biggest takeaways? What impact has this show had 192 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:37,039 on you? It means a lot to me when you do so thank you 193 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:39,799 so much for listening, and I'll catch you next time.