We’re all guilty of being our own worst critic sometimes, but when is it time to say enough’s enough? 

We encounter situations all the time that make us doubt ourselves, especially with the rise of the internet and social media. Sometimes it can feel like our every move is being watched and judged by someone out there. 

Nowadays, it’s common for people to encounter “trolls” (I don’t mean an ugly creature that lives under a bridge, but one that hides behind a keyboard), which can knock people’s confidence on and offline. It’s normal to worry about what people think of you, but once you change the way you think about yourself, you will stop seeking the approval of others. 

It’s time to become your own biggest fan with these 3 simple steps, because the only person holding you back, is you. 

Build A Fortress Of Self-Worth 

Do you ever get a voice in your head that tells you you’re not good enough? Well, it’s time to stop listening. It’s so important to build self-worth, it enables you to take on life’s challenges and be proud of who you are. 

So, what is it? Self-worth, is a direct measure of how you see yourself and it doesn’t change because of external factors or when circumstances change. It means you have complete faith in yourself, your ability and you feel worthy of all things good. You don’t need someone to determine whether you deserve happiness, success or health, because you already know you do. 

Now you’re probably thinking, how the heck do I get to that place? Well, I’ll tell you how. It’s not something that happens over night, it’s a long-term process that you need to work on consistently over time. Your journey to self-worth is like building a house, bear with me here. Once you start adding bricks, your house begins to take shape, grow and become stronger, until it’s almost unbreakable. Even in the worst conditions, your house will remain intact, because you put in place a solid foundation that you consistently built over time. 

Once you’ve built a high level of self-worth, you will hold the power to transform your life for the better. You won’t be phased by external circumstances, instead you’ll begin to accept yourself fully and love yourself unconditionally. 

Nothing or no one will be able to stop you from reaching your full potential. 

Make Failure Your Best Friend 

Failure might sound like the scariest word in the world to many people. Undoubtedly, one of the most difficult feelings we have to try and overcome in life, is the fear of failure. But, it shouldn’t be your enemy, it should be your best friend. I don’t expect you to hold hands and roast marshmallows together, but try to see the good in it. 

We’ve all experienced failure at some point in our life, maybe you didn’t get the job you wanted, failed your driving test or didn’t pass an exam. The scariest thing about it, is being worried what people will think of you when you fail. But, what you don’t realise is, failure is the best teacher you’ll ever have. 

When we try something new, we’re stepping out of our comfort zones and opening ourselves up to the potential of failure. But, we’re also giving ourselves the opportunity to succeed! If you don’t take these risks because you’re scared of failure, you’re preventing yourself from doing what you want in life. It’s so important to take a chance on yourself and learn to accept failure so you can live a better life. 

If you do fail, it might temporarily shake your confidence and make you question yourself, but it’s an opportunity in disguise. Each failure is a mistake to be learnt from, although they seem like tough lessons, they’re also very valuable ones. 

Ask yourself this, will you live a better life if you play it safe, or if you take chances? 

Stop Comparing Yourself To Others 

It’s safe to say that everywhere you look nowadays, there’s always someone to compare yourself to. Human beings have probably been doing this since the beginning of time, I can imagine cavemen comparing the size of their clubs and envying people who had bigger ones. I could be way off with that one…

Let’s be honest, the struggle is real for most of us when it comes to comparing ourselves to others. There’s an abundance of categories to choose from, from being envious of someone’s job, success, appearance or money and the list just keeps going. Now that social media has infiltrated the majority of our lives, it’s easier than ever to find people to compare yourself to, people you would never have known existed if you weren’t scrolling through Instagram. However, it’s not your timeline that needs to change, it’s your mindset. 

I’m not saying you’ll never again wish you were as rich as Jeff Bezos, but you can manage this constant habit of comparison. It all begins with evaluating the way you see yourself and instead of looking at someone else’s success, focusing on your own. Become aware of your past achievements and use them as motivation to pursue more. Remember, a lot of what we see is fabricated to resemble the “perfect life” and we usually see what’s on the surface of people, not what’s hiding underneath. Always remind yourself that you’re good enough and you have everything you need to achieve greatness in your little part of the world. 

There’s 86,400 seconds in a day, don’t waste another one comparing yourself to others. 

It’s time to take control of your life and stop holding yourself back. With a new year ahead, it’s the perfect opportunity to wipe the slate of self-doubt, hop on the journey to success and start loving yourself for who you are. Who needs fans when you’ve got yourself!