Defeat Doubt with This Proven Strategy

Read time: 3 minutes

Doubt is the shadowless figure whispering in your ear to give up.

Now that may cast an eerie image, but that figure is not as nearly as scary as quitting too early.

I’ve studied enough about the greatest achievers to know that persistence is the principal ingredient of success.

But persistence is a rare trait. It demands relentless discipline and unwavering belief that what you are building is right.

But you and I are human.

We’re emotional.

Despite the power of discipline and belief, doubt kills the energy source needed to fuel persistence.

So without discipline, you need a backup energy source to keep you going.

Motivation.

Fortunately, the dopamine from small signals of progress will do the trick.

Signals of progress are the little signs that show you that you’re moving in the right direction.

These signals are especially needed for work that lasts months, years, decades, or lifetimes.

• Building a business

• Creating a brand

• Writing a book

The only way to find these signals is through a feedback loop.

• Talking to your customers

• Sharing your work

• Hiring an editor

But feedback loops are also littered with noise.

Signal vs. noise…I like the definitions Sahil Bloom used:

• The “signal” is the meaningful, relevant information you are trying to detect and absorb.

• The “noise” is the irrelevant information that interferes with our ability to detect the signal.

It’s your job to listen to the signal and ignore the noise.

And while you may be tempted to install a fast feedback loop to get more signal, know that it means exponentially more noise.

You must build a system to enable signals of progress in your work, not just hope they appear.

Here’s how to do it:

• Set up a feedback loop: Create a way to get regular feedback. That means enabling information flow because it will tell you what to do next.

• Use metrics to find the signals: Develop a system of measurements and rules to help you determine what’s essential and what is noise. It’s like having a filter to guide you on your journey.

• Get motivated by the signals: Let them push you forward when you see them. Leverage the information to keep you going strong.

• Adjust and improve the system: As you move forward, keep an eye on how things are going. Change your metrics and methods to stay on track with your progress if needed.

Now, it might sound simple, but it’s easy to get caught up in all the noise because “[Psychologically], we are not made to understand the point, so we overreact emotionally to noise. The best solution is to only look at very large changes in data or condition, never at small ones.” (Nassim Nicholas Taleb from his book Antifragile)

Progress requires active management, not passive hope. Use signals of progress to push back on the shadowless figure.

And prevent yourself from quitting too early.

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