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Fear of Not Being Good Enough

If you wonder if you are good enough or worry you are not, you are in the majority.

For some, trying to be good enough expresses itself in becoming a workaholic. For others, self-doubt manifests itself as procrastination, avoidance, or not finishing what you start.

Why does the voice in our head say such things? 

The “not good enough” voice emerges from:  

  • Constant comparison of ourselves to others.
  • Perfectionism. The insane amount of pressure we put on ourselves to be perfect.
  • Habitual response. A knee jerk reaction based upon a consistent belief we harbor that we simply are not ready yet.

And, if we are brutally honest, just accepting the “not good enough” voice is a ready made excuse. It feels a lot easier and a lot less vulnerable to believe it’s true than taking action and making the changes we know we need to make.

For many, the “not good enough” voice thinks making a mistake is the worst possible outcome. Intellectually, we know we can learn a lot from the mistakes we make and those experiences will eventually make us better. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to escape this self-doubting voice in our head. For many, this voice becomes so loud that it causes them to become and stay paralyzed. 

The fear of “not being good enough” affects everyone—you and me included. 

For years, I used to silently wrestle with this “not good enough” voice. In many ways, it drove me to succeed. In other ways, it haunted me. Sound familiar?

If you or someone on your team is doubting whether you are good enough, I encourage you to tune into this week’s episode of the Getting Results Podcast. In this episode, I specifically address the question: “Am I good enough?” This is the first in a five part series I am doing on overcoming fear. Check it out: E53: Fear of Not Being Good Enough. I offer some personal advice on what I do when this nagging voice tries to hold me back. Something tells me we may be a lot alike.