How to turn self-doubt into your secret superpower

Olivia joined a startup as the eleventh employee and was handed the marketing lead with little direction. On day one, her confidence was rock-bottom—she questioned every campaign idea and convinced herself she’d be fired before month’s end. She started documenting small wins: a social post that drove five new leads, a presentation praised by a mentor, an unexpected mention in industry media. Two weeks in, the founder called her into his office. Initially, she thought it might be bad news. Instead, he praised her progress, noting how quickly she’d identified high-potential channels. Olivia realized the evidence she’d collected proved her abilities—data she could point to when self-doubt whispered otherwise. Later, when the team unveiled a new product feature, Olivia hesitated to suggest a launch strategy because she feared being wrong again. Remembering her “win log,” she asked herself, “What’s the evidence this idea could work?” Reviewing last quarter’s metrics reminded her she’d driven similar growth before. She pitched her plan, and it became the company’s top-performing campaign that quarter. Cognitive science shows that evaluating evidence—rather than relying on gut fears—creates more accurate forecasts of success. By systematically gathering proof of your past wins and testing predictions against data, you turn hesitation into objective insight and self-doubt into a strategic tool.

At the start of each week, carve out ten minutes to jot down your most meaningful wins—and your smartest lessons from failures. When you feel fear creeping in, compare both lists side by side. Notice how past successes outweigh your worries and let the data guide your next move.