How to overcome your fear of not being good enough
Ever felt like you’re not good enough?
That you’re not qualified enough, smart or successful enough. Not confident enough, old or young enough.
In short — you’re not enough.
Years ago — back in my legal recruitment days — I sponsored an International Women’s Day lunch for women lawyers. One of the guest speakers was a senior judge who spoke about her career journey. She blew me away as she shared candidly about her experience with imposter syndrome.
Of feeling like a fraud, not good enough and at times, inadequate compared to the women around her.
I glanced around the room at all the accomplished women, at different stages of their careers. And noticed the nodding and the looks of acknowledgement on their faces.
They recognised themselves in her story.
It was then I realised. So often at these events or in my dealings with women like this, I’d felt inadequate or not enough too.
I’ve had the honour of coaching many successful, high-achieving leaders. And through this work, I’ve witnessed how widespread this ‘not-enough’ is.
Read on to discover 7 ways to strengthen your self-worth and minimise feelings of ‘not enough’.
WHY YOU DON’T FEEL GOOD ENOUGH
Every individual experiences feelings of not being good enough. Both nature and nurture can impact your self-worth.
Fear is a protective mechanism, designed to keep you safe. It presents whenever it perceives a ‘threat’ to your survival. When the fear of judgement holds you back from putting yourself out there — or you worry you’ll fail when starting something new.
Another contributor are your core beliefs, adopted in childhood. Your parents, society and the media influenced these beliefs in your early years of life.
Growing up, did you receive praise for achievement and performance? Your academic results, sports accomplishments, having good manners or people pleasing. If so, you may have developed the belief you need to be ‘perfect’ or ‘successful’ to feel good about yourself.
Though I still have moments of ‘not enough’, I’ve learnt how to cultivate my self-worth and keep those fraudy feelings in check most of the time. Here are my top tips.
TIP #1 — DEVELOP SELF-COMPASSION
Self-compassion expert Dr Kristin Neff talks about the three elements of self-compassion. To start, remember not feeling good enough is part of being human. We all experience it, so know you’re not alone.
Second, be kind to yourself when you feel inadequate or make a mistake. Finally, feel your feelings without attachment. Find a balance between suppressing and getting stuck in them.
TIP #2 — REFRAME YOUR THOUGHTS
Negative self-talk and thoughts of ‘not enough’ stem from your core, sub-conscious beliefs. The first step to working through them, is awareness. Notice the belief and question it.
Then, replace this belief with a more helpful one. ‘I’m a failure’ becomes ‘I did my best’. ‘I don’t have enough experience’ turns into ‘I have everything I need to succeed.’
TIP #3 — ACKNOWLEDGE YOURSELF
Self-acknowledgement is a fantastic way to overcome not feeling good enough. Instead of judging or criticising yourself (or others), take the time to celebrate who you are. Your best qualities.
Here’s a simple daily practice I learnt from my own coach a few years ago. Each morning, write down three personal qualities you’re celebrating in yourself. Begin each sentence with ‘I am…’, as in ‘I am creative’, ‘I am courageous’, ‘I am generous’.
It’s normal for this exercise to feel unnatural at first but don’t dismiss it! When I first started this practice it took me forever to come up with my top three. But the longer I did it (and the more I stepped into my worth), the easier it was to list off my three qualities.
Still finding this tough or feeling self-conscious? Start by acknowledging others in your daily interactions. The slower you are to judge or criticise others, the easier it will be to do the same for yourself!
TIP #4 — GO FOR PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION
At the heart of perfectionism is a deep fear of not being good enough. Striving for perfection and success to validate your self-worth. Worrying about what others think — or seeking their approval to avoid criticism and judgement.
Realise no-one is perfect and focus on doing your best. Remember, to fail doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Learn from your mistakes, without being self-critical and beating yourself up.
Finally, celebrate your successes. Take the time to acknowledge your achievements rather than playing them down or rushing to the next goal!
TIP #5 — DETACH YOUR WORTH FROM WORK
Many high-achievers base their worth on their level of productivity. Especially when you’re praised or rewarded for working hard. Your work begins to define you and you develop the belief overachievement is the key to success.
You have so much to do and so little time! Anything ‘unproductive’ — sleep, self-care or doing something FUN — becomes a waste of time. For many years when work became a part of my self-worth and identity, I was guilty of this.
People pleasing and failing to set boundaries are also signs of not feeling good enough. Prioritising self-care and learning to say no are critical steps to overcome it.
TIP #6 — START FROM THE INSIDE-OUT
A major sign of low self-worth is relying on other people’s opinions to feel good about yourself. You may seek validation from others or chase external ‘success’. Things like money, status, material possessions — or having the perfect job/home/family.
Overcoming self-doubt is about letting go of what you think you ‘should’ do. To live life from a place of worthiness and ‘I am enough’.
Instead of starting from the outside in, you need to begin from the inside out. Ask yourself what YOU want first, rather than seeking the approval of others. After all, you have all the right answers within yourself!
TIP #7 — MAKE COMPARISON IRRELEVANT
If you’re anything like me, you feel good about yourself until you compare yourself to others.
One moment you’re feeling on top of the world. The next, you scroll social media and see someone putting the idea YOU had out into the world — or doing something you aspire to do.
Then you feel small, unworthy and not enough in comparison. Instead, use these feelings as inspiration and fuel for what you desire. But stay in your lane and look for evidence of your strengths and past achievements.
When you focus on YOUR unique gifts — not your weaknesses or what you believe you lack — comparison becomes irrelevant.
Everyone experiences the fear of not being good enough — but it’s completely possible to overcome it. These tips have helped my clients and I develop our self-worth and manage feelings of ‘not enough’. I hope they support you too!
Want help to overcome your fear of not being good enough — so you can create the professional life you desire?
Click HERE to book a free initial 30 minute consult to get started!
Stacey Back is a globally recognised and certified Career + Leadership Coach. She helps high-achievers at a career crossroads find the work that lights them up, increase their income, impact and create a career + life on their terms. Stacey works virtually with individuals and organisations based across the globe.