Anyone who has championed progressive ideas, broken ground with new technology or built world-defining businesses have gone through a stage of self-doubt, often due to a lack of support.
It is incredibly frustrating when we’ve presented something we feel passionate about or an idea which we want others to be enthusiastic about, only to be met with either scorn or, even worse, indifference. At this stage, it is tempting to give up on our ideas and fade into obscurity.
However, those who have gone to bigger things understand five basic principles ensuring our big ideas are realized, not just by ourselves, but by those who seem skeptical.
Prove it to yourself
“One of the major issues that people face when being presented with a new idea is that there is some form of self-consciousness in its presentation,” says William Fairfax, an author at Writemyx and Brit Student. “People pick up on a lack of confidence very quickly, and this can be incredibly detrimental to anyone who is striving to be heard.”
One way to combat this is to ensure that you have a full grasp of everything you are putting out there. Part of proving it to yourself is coming at your ideas or arguments from the strongest oppositional view.
Shake people’s beliefs
In anticipating this kind of resistance, you can create an iron-clad self-confidence that can excite or bewilder those you are presenting to. Being in possession of a full range of facts is a sure way to inspire confidence.
Though many like to believe they have all the information to form an opinion, the pursuit of this information can be a much greater driver. If you are able to widen someone’s world view through accurate and compelling data, you are likely to have enlisted a supporter, rather than a detractor.
Be consistent
At an instinctual level, people like to see recognizable patterns, including personalities and ideas. When these patterns are broken, people can react very strongly, which is why when someone starts to change track in their approach, they can lose the faith of those who support them.
“Being consistent signals a commitment,” Charles Dayton a regular contributor to 1Day2write and Nextcoursework. “It helps people understand your motivations, the ideas behind your approach, and the beliefs key to your interests and endeavors.” Once someone feels familiar with your personal ‘brand’, they are more likely to feel comfortable riding along with it.
Embrace your skeptics
It is hard to accept it when, despite all evidence to the contrary, someone simply cannot invest their faith in you. There is a temptation to take it personally, to allow it to affect our confidence and, if unchecked, push us towards giving up.
Instead, we should recognize that some people are just perennially pessimistic about our endeavors. There may, indeed, be a personal reason why they don’t go along with us, or they be may genuinely skeptical. However, they can be an important resource for sense checking our ideas. They often present the strongest argument against us, and we should approach them as a point of exercise so that we can sharpen our ideas and arguments.
Do it anyway
It is important for self-confidence to enlist supporters and friends when we decide on any particular course of action. However, though it is important, you should remember that central to it all is your drive to continue. Though you should always take on board constructive criticism, remember that you don’t have to pay any attention to anyone who seeks to derail you. In turn, showing that you have this drive will naturally draw support and admiration from others, sometimes surprising sources.
Katrina Hatchett is a lifestyle blogger and writer and has her hand in many business projects, aside from her work at Academic Brits and Origin Writings. With her goal of improving the effectiveness of communication, she seeks to identify problems within her projects and challenges herself with finding solutions. You can also find her work on PhDKingdom.
Image courtesy of Nqobile Vundla.
