Intermittent self belief: the thief of joy

How much time have you wasted by only believing in yourself intermittently?

You know exactly what I mean. One minute, you’re on fire. You’re focused, disciplined, unstoppable. You’ve got the Big Plan, the To-Do List, the Motivational Playlist. You’re practically glowing with the certainty that this — this project, this dream, this version of you — is going to work.

And then… crickets.

The world doesn’t immediately rearrange itself to accommodate your brilliance. The response is lukewarm. You feel unsustained, empty, like a balloon that’s floated up to the ceiling and realized it has no idea how to get down.

And then the little voices start.

They whisper:
Who do you think you are?
You were too audacious, too conceited.
You’re not talented enough.
Or worse—you never really wanted to do this.

The cycle begins again. One foot on the gas, one foot on the brake. Moving forward in fits and starts, wondering why it feels like nothing is truly gaining momentum.

This isn’t just self-doubt. It’s self-doubt with intervals. And it’s a joy killer.

Take Me As An Example

Let’s talk about me. Founder of the Society of Alternative Entrepreneurs. A woman who should know better, and yet? I, too, get disheartened.

When I feel like my work isn’t making an impact fast enough, when enthusiasm dwindles, when I start to doubt if what I’m building is even wanted...I pull back. I stop putting my full weight behind my own ideas. I withdraw, metaphorically licking my wounds, waiting for some mystical sign that I should keep going.