Does this dress make me look fat? Did that question make me sound stupid? Do my co-workers think I am too young to hold this position?
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If questions such as these dominate your thoughts on a daily basis, you’re wasting a lot of valuable energy. Many people allow themselves to stress over questions of their value and worth due to self-doubt.
If you’re guilty of giving in to this vice, you’d benefit from cutting it out. If you require additional motivation to stop the cycle, consider some of the reasons why successful people skip worrying about the opinions of others.
Reason 1 – They Understand That Opinions Are Temporary
While your co-worker says stirrup pants are hideous today, when they next grace the runway, she’ll order them in every color. Things change – constantly.
Why dedicate energy to getting upset about someone’s opinion when that opinion will change with the wind? Keep the temporal natural of opinions in mind and you’ll find it easier not to get wrapped up in them.
Reason 2 – They Know That Life’s Short
Years whip by, especially as you age. With so many finite hours and minutes on this planet, there is no time to worry about what other people are thinking.
The next time you find yourself indulging in self-doubt, ask yourself if this is what you would be doing with your time if the world were going to end in a week. If the answer is no, you shouldn’t be doing it now.
Reason 3 – They Understand You Can’t Please Everyone
Every time you make a decision you satisfy one person and dissatisfy another. Not even inaction pleases everyone, as there will always be those unhappy that you haven’t acted.
Because you can’t please everyone, there isn’t any reason to worry about whom, specifically, you are displeasing with your decisions.
Make the best choice you can and stick to it. By doing so, you can please the person whose opinion matters most – you.
Reason 4 – They Don’t Need Other’s Approval
Exceptionally successful individuals didn’t get that way by asking everyone’s permission before acting. They used their expertise and skill to chart a course and sailed along it, undaunted by obstacles.
When you don’t seek other’s approval, it will stop mattering what they think of you, making it easier for you to stick with your plan of action regardless of the opinions of others.
Reason 5 – They Don’t Have Time
Almost all successful people share one thing in common – they’re busy. Whether the task that fills their hours is counting the money in their Scrooge McDuck-Style swimming pool vault or, more likely, running their companies or completing their jobs, these individuals have lots to do.
With so much on their plates, they simply can’t waste any time pondering the thoughts of others and, as a result, don’t. If you’re finding yourself frequently dedicating time to self-doubt, pick up another hobby so you don’t have the time to spend engaging in this negative behavior.
Reason 6 – They Focus on What They Can Control
There are lots of things successful people can’t control. But they don’t often worry about them. Worrying about something that you can’t control is entirely futile, as no amount of worry or lack thereof will have any impact.
The next time you find yourself questioning something, ask yourself, “Do I have any control over this?” If the answer is no, rid your mind of your negative thoughts and make more room for positive ones.
Reason 7 – They Accept That Life’s Complicated
Life is complicated. You have two choices: accept it, or bemoan this fact. Successful people don’t allow the negativity associated with being worried about life’s complications to cloud their judgement.
Even though it would be super wonderful if life was simple, wishing and hoping won’t make it so. Take a page out of the books of the success stories and own the fact that life is complicated.
People judging you is just part of this complication and, as a result, not worthy of your contemplation or worry.
Reason 8 – They Strive for Freedom
To be truly successful, you need to be free enough to take risks that others wouldn’t take. By letting other’s potential thoughts control you, you absolutely prevent yourself from finding the required freedom to truly take the risks necessary to be successful.
If you need further motivation to not let other’s thoughts about you dominate your thoughts, remind yourself that you must remain physically and mentally free to truly realize your ultimate potential and that, by worrying about this, you’re shackling yourself and preventing your ultimate success.
