Ah yes, Self-doubt. It creeps in when you least expect it, whispering thoughts of uncertainty and what ifs. It’s like standing on a bridge, knowing you can cross, but then suddenly start questioning if the planks will hold your weight. Everyone experiences self-doubt at some point—it’s natural—but how we handle it can shape our choices and outcomes.
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I remember a moment from my junior secondary school days that taught me just how powerful self-doubt can be. Back then, I had the honor of representing my school in an inter-school quiz competition. It was a big deal to me. The preparation wasn’t easy, but I gave it my all. I read books, practiced past questions, and tackled tricky areas. By the time the competition day arrived, I thought I was ready.
The competition was intense. Round after round, my partner and I performed exceptionally well, making it to the final tie-breaker for first place. That’s when things got serious. The question for the tie-breaker was something I had read during my preparation. A wave of excitement ran through me—I felt sure I knew the answer. In my head, I was already celebrating, imagining pulling off a victory move like Steph Curry’s iconic “night-night” gesture.
But then my partner spoke up. In our shirt second of interaction, he confidently claimed that he’d come across the same question in a past quiz but his answer was completely different from mine. I began thinking: What if he was right? What if I’d misunderstood what I read? That one seed of doubt quickly grew into full-blown anxiety. I hesitated.
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In that moment, I decided to trust his answer instead of my own instincts. It felt like the safer choice—after all, he sounded so sure. But when the host announced the correct answer, my heart sank. I had been right all along.
The realization hit hard. That moment of self-doubt had cost us first place—and with it, the chance to move on to the next stage of the competition. It pained even more when we later found out that the past question my partner relied on had the wrong answer listed. I spent days replaying the scenario in my mind, kicking myself for not trusting my gut.
Looking back now, that experience wasn’t just a lesson in competition; it was a lesson in life. Self-doubt is like quicksand—it pulls you down the longer you stand in it. At the same time, it’s also an opportunity to grow.
I realized that while questioning yourself is normal, letting it control you isn’t the answer.
Since that day, I’ve made it a point to trust myself more, even when the stakes are high. I’ve learned to weigh others’ opinions carefully but to never silence my own voice in the process. Of course, it’s not always easy. There are still moments when doubt tries to sneak back in, but I remind myself of that quiz competition and other situations like it and the lesson it taught me.
If there’s one takeaway from my story, it’s this: self-doubt isn’t your enemy. It’s a signal, urging you to pause and reflect, but not to abandon what you know to be true. Trusting yourself doesn’t mean you’ll always get it right, but it does mean you’ll move forward with confidence—win or lose.
The question now is: will you trust yourself enough to take the shot?