Steps to Turn Off the Nagging Self-Doubt in Your Head

Re:Steps to Turn Off the Nagging Self-Doubt in Your Head by adventured on Monday June 13, 2016 @11:38PM (#11899583)

Looking back on it, how much of the problem was the segment you were working on (ebay, retail, auctions), versus the specific product itself (its design, upkeep, et al)? Were you able to narrow those types of factors down when it came to what was creating the negative feeling?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Steps to Turn Off the Nagging Self-Doubt in Your Head by johnwheeler on Tuesday June 14, 2016 @12:24AM (#11899772)

I know why I did well to start. I had low expectations and no basis for self-comparison. I focused on the work instead of the results, so the results ended up being pretty good.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Steps to Turn Off the Nagging Self-Doubt in Your Head by simonswords82 on Tuesday June 14, 2016 @03:14AM (#11900324)

> I know why I did well to start. I had low expectations and no basis for self-comparison.

This happens to everybody who achieves an initial "success":

- A band or artist that puts out a great first album or single that is well received and then struggles to write any more hits. These guys are called "one hit wonders" - what a horrible name for somebody who achieved success even if it was once!

- An entrepreneur who launches a successful first business, sells out for millions, and struggles to come up with an idea for a second business let alone execute and replicate the success of the first.

- The writer that has a successful first book but can't come up with a story line for a second.

I'd estimate 99% of people never have one "success", let alone repeatedly create successful things - it seems unfair your brain beat you up for not having replicated your first success. Glad to hear it's getting better.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Steps to Turn Off the Nagging Self-Doubt in Your Head by aleh on Tuesday June 14, 2016 @06:12AM (#11900920)

Can be also luck on first try, while all subsequent attempts are "regression towards the mean" as Kahneman puts it.

However I agree with the idea that being motivated by the process of creation is more robust than being totally goal-oriented, especially when chance of achieving a goal is low and it may take many unsuccessful attempts before producing a hit.

[ Parent | on HN ]