Believe in Your Great Work: How to Overcome Doubt and Do What Matters Most
On a sunny afternoon, as Zoom screens flickered to life, our community gathered in a Great Work Series class to explore a deceptively simple question: How much do you really believe in your Great Work?
We weren't talking about clapping for Tinkerbell. This wasn't the "believe and achieve" slogan that's been stamped onto too many coffee mugs.
No, we were digging into something deeper: the powerful, often hidden beliefs we hold about ourselves, our abilities, and our right to create work that truly matters.
It turns out, belief isn't just about hope. It's about how you think, how you feel, and ultimately, how you act.
Here's what we uncovered, and how you can use these insights to powerfully shift your relationship to your Great Work.
1. Your Beliefs Shape Your Reality
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy teaches us a basic truth: circumstances are neutral. It’s our beliefs about those circumstances that generate our thoughts, our feelings, our actions, and eventually, our results.
For example, say you realize someone might benefit from your help. If your underlying belief is "sales is slimy," you might feel anxious and avoid offering your services. But if you believe, "I'm a heart-centered helper who must ask permission to serve," you'll feel grounded, confident, and much more likely to act.
Tip: If you're stuck, don't just "try to think positive." Investigate the belief that is fueling your thoughts. Change the belief, and the thoughts and feelings will follow.
2. You Are Not Your Shoulds
One of the biggest obstacles to pursuing our Great Work? Believing we "should" do a thousand other things first.
Lose weight. Be a better parent. Be more organized. The list is endless.
But here's the thing: "should" goals rarely come from your true desires. They’re inherited, from family, culture, or fear.
Tip: Audit your commitments. Write down everything you're "supposed" to be doing.
Then ask: Do I actually want this? If not, it's time to let it go. Clearing "shoulds" creates space for your real work to flourish.
3. Fear of Not Belonging Is Real (But Manageable)
Maybe the scariest part of stepping into your Great Work is worrying about how others will judge you.
Will they be proud? Dismissive? Jealous? Feel betrayed?
Here's the truth: people will have thoughts about you, no matter what you do.
Some will admire you. Some will misunderstand you. Most will move on with their lives faster than you think.
Tip: Focus on your own clarity. When you are deeply grounded in why your Great Work matters to you, the opinions of others lose their grip.
4. Watch Out for "I'm Just Not That Kind of Person"
Have you ever said:
"I'm just not a salesperson."
"I'm not organized enough."
"I'm not a writer."
These identity-based beliefs are powerful and dangerous.
Remember: If you defend your limitations, you get to keep them.
Tip: Instead of clinging to limiting identities, try: "I'm learning to become the kind of person who..." Growth is possible. You are not stuck.
5. It's Normal to Mourn the Old You
Whenever you step into a new version of yourself, author, entrepreneur, speaker, or leader, you lose a piece of your old identity.
When you get your first real job, maybe you lose the "student" version of yourself.
Maybe you lose the "aspiring" version and become "the real thing."
Loss, even loss of old identities, brings discomfort.
Tip: Name the loss. Grieve it if needed. And then, choose to step forward. Growth and belonging are not mutually exclusive. You carry the best of who you were into the person you are becoming.
6. Choose Helpful Beliefs
At every turn, you have a choice:
Believe that success is only for the lucky few, or believe that your hard work will make a difference.
Believe that you’re an outsider, or believe that your unique perspective is your superpower.
Neither belief is objectively "truer" than the other. But one will help you. The other will hold you back.
Tip: When you notice a limiting belief, ask: "Is this belief helping me?" If not, start replacing it, one new thought at a time.
Your Great Work Needs You
Doing your Great Work will confront you. It will expose your fears. It will test your commitment. It will ask you to be brave in ways you didn't expect.
But if you take the time to examine, question, and reshape your beliefs, you open the door to a different kind of life, one where doing what matters most feels natural, joyful, and true.
The belief is not magic. It's not easy. But it is transformative.
Believe in your Great Work, and then get to work.
Ready to Dive Deeper?
Want a simple first step? Join the free course "Your Great Work Is Waiting!" You can find the sign up page at the top of the website in the gold banner!
