How often do you second-guess yourself?
Should I have done more?
Should I be doing this?
Did I do the right thing?
I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m second-guessing myself right now about whether I should be writing about second-guessing. But I’ve decided to do so and am going with it.
You see, almost everyone experiences some form of second-guessing themselves. And those that say they don’t are either not telling the truth or are missing an important component of being human.
Second-guessing yourself is nothing more than self-doubt about a decision you’ve already made. And the unfortunate reality about decisions is that they can only really be evaluated in hindsight.
Some decisions are obviously more difficult to undo than others and should be treated accordingly. For example, choosing a career path will have a greater impact on your life when compared to what you choose to have for dinner today. But in the grand scheme of things, if you feel as though you’ve made an error in either one, then in the future, you can make a different decision.
When you find yourself second-guessing yourself, don’t view it as a negative or something wrong with you. A certain level of introspection is healthy, but don’t drive yourself crazy by constantly ruminating over decisions you’ve made, because after all, they now reside in the past. And all you really have control over is the present.
So, the next time you find yourself second-guessing a decision you made, stop for a moment and ask yourself if you made the best decision you could have based on the information you had. If you did, then great. There’s no need to continue to second guess yourself. If you didn’t, then don’t start by beating yourself up over your decision. Instead, view it as an opportunity for self-improvement.
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