Many people question their worth and capabilities. They often get the nagging feeling that “nothing I do is good enough.” But why do you feel like that? In most cases, it’s self-inflicted. Here’s why you feel like nothing you do is good enough and how to overcome it permanently.
1. Perfectionism
Trying to be perfect is the main culprit behind the feeling of never being good enough. Most perfectionists want them to be the best and want others to recognize that. It’s a good thing. However, what they often fail to do is put in the effort to become the best.
Perfectionists keep finding faults in their work and fix them instead of progressing further. They also always think others are outperforming them. These negative thoughts hinder their progress.
Steps to overcome:
- Acknowledge your achievements, even small ones
- Embrace growth mindset
- Focus on progress rather than perfection
2. Low Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is how you value yourself. It’s how you like, accept, and respect your abilities and qualities. When you have a negative view of yourself and your abilities, your self-esteem will be low, and you won’t get a sense of satisfaction.
Steps to overcome:
- Practice self-compassion (be kind and understanding to yourself during difficult situations)
- Positive affirmation
- Surround yourself with positive people
3. Depression
Depression casts a shadow over every aspect of life, making it difficult to recognize your achievements. If you have been negatively thinking about yourself for so long, you’ll be depressed. Being depressed for a long time will deplete your strength and desire to succeed.
If you’re depressed and not able to come out, seek professional help so other areas of your life won’t take a hit.
Steps to overcome:
- Engage in activities that make you happy
- Set realistic goals to rebuild a sense of accomplishment
- Seek professional help
4. Fear of Rejection
Rejection is universal. All of us would have experienced rejection at least once in life. Similarly, fear of rejection is unavoidable, especially when you’re in a situation that could lead to rejection. However, it becomes an issue when the fear is overwhelming.
High fear of rejection decreases your self-esteem, makes you depressed, and increases negative thoughts. You’ll start assuming that you have failed even before doing a task. To overcome the fear of rejection, avoid overthinking and allowing others’ opinions to impact your feelings.
Steps to overcome:
- Challenge irrational thoughts
- Expose yourself to rejection
- Build resilience
5. Fear of Failure
Fear of failure will lead you nowhere. In other words, you’ll avoid every activity, fearing unsuccessful results. Remember, failure is part of the success journey. All successful people would have failed at least once in their life. Failures teach you valuable lessons and provide opportunities to improve yourself.
Steps to overcome:
- See failures as opportunities to learn and grow
- Break down large goals into smaller, manageable tasks
- Celebrate achievements along the way
6. Unrealistic Expectations
Setting big goals isn’t wrong. However, it’s necessary that they aren’t unrealistic. You may want to become a millionaire, but that isn’t possible overnight. It requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and skills.
Always ensure that you set SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound) goals. This approach helps you clearly know what you can achieve so you won’t be disappointed later.
Pro tip: Break down your ultimate goal into smaller tasks to make them seem more achievable. Also, each time you complete a task, reward yourself so you get the motivation to achieve your ultimate goal.
Steps to overcome:
- Set specific, measurable, and achievable goals
- Break down your ultimate goal into smaller tasks
- Regularly assess and adjust goals as needed
7. Overreaction
Overreacting to situations or events that don’t even matter can make you doubt yourself. Even if you make a mistake, you don’t need to dwell on it for an entire week. If you do so, you’ll lose your self-confidence and experience fear of rejection and failure next time when trying new things.
Always consider mistakes as an opportunity to learn something new. That’s what a growth mindset is.
Steps to overcome:
- Develop a growth mindset
- Avoid overthinking
- Give yourself room for imperfections
8. Comparison
Healthy competition is when you want to succeed and celebrate others’ success. If seeing others succeed makes you jealous, it’s unhealthy competition.
Constantly comparing yourself to others can make you feel inferior, giving you the impression that you’ll never measure up. As a result, your self-esteem will decrease, and you’ll become depressed.
Steps to overcome:
- Focus on your journey and accomplishments
- Cultivate a collaborative mindset instead of a competitive one
- Celebrate both your and others’ success
The Final Word
Everyone faces self-doubt. However, allowing those feelings to dictate your worth can be detrimental. Accepting who you are, overcoming fear of failure and rejection, setting realistic expectations, and cultivating a growth mindset can help you overcome self-doubt. Tune your mindset from “there’s something wrong with me” to “I’m getting better and better.”
The feeling of “nothing I do is good enough” is something that you must overcome to succeed. If you aren’t able to do so, seek professional help. Remember, professional help isn’t a sign of weakness. Instead, it’s a brave and proactive step toward personal growth.
Ken D Foster, who has over 30 years of experience in personal and professional development, can change your mindset, help you discover the purpose of life, define your vision, and accelerate your pace of success. Click here to consult with Ken.
Ken D Foster is a best-selling author, transformational leader, business strategist, and producer of the Voices of Courage Show, syndicated in 185 countries.
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