Do You Let Your Lack of Confidence Dictate Your Lack of Success?

I'm not sure what happened today.  This morning, I was a vibrant, successful freelancer with a long client list and plenty of glowing possibilities.  As the day wore on I was thrilled to see my to do list diminishing.  This writing lark seemed a cinch! Suddenly, at about 4pm, I had to tackle a particularly thorny project and was overwhelmed by a feeling of insecurity.  Why had I promised this client xyz?  Could I really deliver? Was my work up to scratch?  I found myself floundering and staring at the blank screen in a perfect imitation of a rabbit caught in the headlights.

Most writers experience this kind of performance anxiety at some stage in their career, if not on a regular basis.  Unfortunately, many let their fears stop them from becoming as successful as they could be.  I know many talented writers who have never even pursued a career in writing because they have too little confidence in their own ability.  Some of these writers, I am willing to admit, are vastly more capable and gifted than myself and in a twist of irony, their own reluctance to put themselves forward often sends me into a spiral of self doubt. 

However, every time I question my own ability I come up with the same affirmation:  People hire me.  People buy my work.  People read my work. 

The only difference between myself and my unpublished fellow writers is that my undying determination to get paid to do what I love is enough to make me break through the barriers of my insecurity and send my work out.

Do you let your confidence, or lack of, dictate how successful you are as a freelance writer?  Are you gripped with a fear of pitching, panic over client work, reluctance to promote your book?  Here are some tips:

• Take a step back.  Often we are too close to our own work to be objective about how good it is.  Or get so caught up in the details of an assignment that we forget the big picture.  Take a time out, and the chances are you will return with a more positive attitude.
• Surround yourself with positives.  Print out those emails from editors or clients praising your work and pin them up somewhere you can see them!
• See criticism as constructive.  If your confidence has been knocked by some harsh words try to accept that without criticism there is no way to improve your craft.  Take it on the chin, remember that no one is perfect, and try again.
• Read other work!  If you want to put your writing into a bigger context, take a stroll through the blogosphere to see the average standard of writing.  Or pick up a mass produced trash novel and roll your eyes at the cliches and plot formulas that abound.  Perhaps you just don't think your writing is good enough because your own standards are so high?
• Ask yourself what you have to lose versus what you have to gain.  If you don't try you might never fail...but you will never win either!

Above all,  don´t let a sudden crisis of confidence cripple your productivity.  Keep working, even if it is quietly and bravely face the insecurities that often plague writers with the attitude that "this too shall pass".  Psychologists and self-help gurus alike claim that we make our own success, and that a positive attitude can help to bring good fortune our way.