by Emilie Glen Colsted

Motivating thoughts

Self-doubt can be described as questioning our own self-competence (Braslow, Guerrettaz, Arkin, & Oleson, 2012). No matter how competent we are, self-doubt seems to be something everyone faces at some point in their life.

This uncertainty often shows up when we need to perform well, especially if others rely on us. In these moments it may be difficult to figure out if the self-doubt, we are feeling, is a helpful motivation to perform at a higher level or a hindrance that gradually decreases our motivation by eating away at our confidence.

Fear and insecurity may push us to do better, but these feelings can also make it hard for us to envision ourselves crossing the finish line and achieving what we desire. Therefore, it may be beneficial to target self-doubt that negatively impacts our motivation, and replace it with new ways of thinking that boost our self-efficacy.

What is self-efficacy, you may ask? Self-efficacy refers to our judgment of how well we can accomplish a certain task or succeed in a specific situation. How confident we are in our ability to employ control over our motivation and behavior is related to how strong self-efficacy is.

High self-efficacy may help us perceive obstacles as challenges we can overcome and master, while low self-efficacy can make us view these same obstacles as threats we need to avoid. When we develop low self-efficacy we tend to pay more attention to the abilities we lack rather than the ones we have. Low self-efficacy thereby increases the risk of negative self-doubt. Increasing your self-efficacy is, therefore, a great way to obtain more motivating thoughts.

If you want to learn more about self-doubt, self-efficacy, and how to examine whether your thoughts are boosting or constraining your motivation, then try the tool: Motivating thoughts