A recurring theme I have run into lately is the loss of awareness and self-confidence that many are facing in their careers and lives regarding their abilities.  Whether it relates to taking care of home and family and/or performance at work, I have continued to run into successful people who are questioning how good they are at what they do.

This self-doubt seems to most often occur with those who have gotten so used to what they do that they no longer recognize its value - both to others and themselves. It seems the very fact that many people have gotten so used to doing things not just well, but exceptionally well, that causes them to fail to recognize the importance of it. High performance begins to feel so normal that they forget that it is just that - high performance!  

Failing to realize how good you are at what you do can actually have the counterproductive effect of making you feel as though you aren’t capable of doing things well.  When you don’t have the awareness of how well you already perform, the slightest misstep can suddenly make you feel as though you are completely inadequate for the task, and potentially other tasks, as you spiral into a cycle of self-doubt.

Think of a champion Olympic athlete who wins a race and sets a personal record, but is milliseconds short of beating the world record. While everyone else is impressed with the gold-medal finish, the athlete, who is used to coming in first, focuses on the missed world record and feels like a failure.  In reality, they are about as far from failure as anyone can imagine, but in their own mind, winning is just a normal part of their life, but not beating the world record is somehow a sign they aren’t good enough. It is easy to lose perspective when operating well above average is your baseline.

Setting high standards for yourself is a good thing, but don’t allow those standards to cause you to lose sight of the wonderful things you accomplish in life.  Not only are you accomplishing your tasks/goals, but you are actually doing them at a high level. If your regular routine feels ordinary to you, take a moment to get some perspective on exactly what and how much you do each and every day.  Evaluate how what you do impacts the lives of others and your own, whether it is at work, home, or in the community. Take pride in the fact that what you do is of value and remind yourself of that fact the next time you say “Oh, I do that all the time” or “That’s just what I do.”

It is an exciting moment when you realize that what you do carries true importance, even in ways that at first glance may seem insignificant when they get rolled into a busy daily schedule.  Remember to maintain your perspective and challenge that little voice inside that tries to tell you that you aren’t doing exceptional things!