How I Overcame Self-Doubt to Have an Extraordinarily Productive Day
I didn’t want to get out of bed today.
I felt like whatever I did today wouldn’t matter.
My web app would continue to go unused, my articles unread, and my videos unwatched.
But by the evening I was on fire!
How did I go from 0 to 100 within 24 hours?
I utilized these 8 steps to conquer my self-doubt:
1. Watched Reality T.V.
What do you do when you’re feeling bad? Make bad decisions.
For me that was choosing to watch reality T.V., which surprisingly turned out to be a good decision.
I don’t normally watch garbage, but it gave me a boost in self-esteem because I thought,
“Wow, if these guys can be successful so can I!”
I prefer to listen to intelligent talks, but sometimes I think, “What can I possibly add to the larger conversation? It has all been said!”
But by spending time listening to people at the bottom of the barrel it makes us realize how needed we truly are.
2. Took Baby Steps
“You’re never too old to take baby steps.” — Capital Steez
Success seems so distant.
It helps to take that first step.
I turned off the reality T.V., posted a pic on Instagram, showered, and then cleaned my room. These mini-accomplishments gave me momentum.
3. Long Walk
“Walking is man’s best medicine” — Hippocrates
Instead of calling an Uber I walked in the hot midday sun. Physical forward momentum gave me emotional forward momentum.
4. Vocalized Thoughts
While walking, I recorded a voice memo. I talked to myself about my feelings and strategy. I realized I’m a really good listener ;]
5. Coffee Shop
“Better latte than ever.” — Abraham Lincoln*
I walked into the coffee shop dripping in sweat. It was worth the walk because I need to get out of the house if I’m going to have a productive day.
I love coffee shops in particular because of the aroma, conversational background noise, and the bitter taste of coffee.
6. Listened to Song on Repeat
BONUS TIP: Want to put a song on repeat from YouTube? Add ‘repeat’ between ‘youtube’ and ‘.com’
I’ve been using this productivity hack for years. In college if you walked by my dorm room you could count on hearing the same handful of songs blasting from my speakers. This hack helps me get into flow!
7. Quick Burst of Exercise
Once I left the coffee shop, I walked up to the highway overpass where their was a strong breeze. I did 5 minutes of stretching and pushups to get my blood pumping.
8. Created Publishing Schedule
Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out. — R. Collier
When I woke up my subconscious was saying, “Whatever I do today won’t change anything so why don’t you just stay in bed!”
Self-help advice might suggest, “You do matter! Be positive!” But I fancy myself a practical person.
A more convincing argument was to tell myself, “What you do today won’t matter much, but your days add up! Get clear about how today fits into the larger picture!”
In terms of productivity it’s important to focus on the present task, but in terms of motivation it’s important to focus on the future strategy.
By outlining my next 5 Medium articles, Instagram photos, and YouTube videos I felt more confident about my future. I recognized that any one of these things probably won’t get me many followers/users/subscribers, but taken as a whole they just might.
And with that, I regained my confidence to create.
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Anthony Galli is the creator of Live to Challenge. He is a 26 year old American living out of a backpack as he travels the world (current location: southeast Asia). He fancies himself an entrepreneurial, libertarian, human guinea pig bent on making a dent in the universe (why he chooses to speak in the third person no one knows).
*I like to attribute unknown quotes to Abraham Lincoln
