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May 5, 2025 10 mins

https://lestallion.com/collections/journal-notebook-for-overcoming-self-doubt

Struggling with that nagging voice of self-doubt? You're not alone. This deep dive explores how the simple act of journaling can transform your relationship with self-doubt, creating pathways toward greater confidence and mental clarity.

Self-doubt shows up in countless ways—imposter syndrome, perfectionism, fear of failure, and that relentless inner critic that undermines our confidence and mental health. While completely eliminating these feelings may not be realistic, having practical tools to manage them makes all the difference. Journaling emerges as a surprisingly powerful strategy, particularly when using a quality journal that makes the practice feel more intentional and significant.

We explore the science behind why journaling works, how it helps externalize your fears, and the specific techniques that shift negative thinking patterns. From tracking small wins to practicing gratitude and reframing failures, these approaches build a concrete "evidence file" against self-doubt. The physical qualities of premium journals—smooth paper that encourages writing, durable construction that respects the importance of your journey, structured elements that organize scattered thoughts—all enhance the therapeutic process, making the sometimes difficult work of facing self-doubt feel more manageable and even inviting.

Ready to start rewriting your inner narrative? Consider how creating a dedicated space with a tool you actually enjoy using could help you begin challenging those limiting beliefs. What's one small thought you could write down today to begin that process? Your journey from self-doubt to self-confidence might start with just a single sentence on a blank page.

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LeStallion offers premium PU leather journal notebooks for writing, dedicated to all those who are pursuing their dreams and goals, or nurturing their personal development and mental health.

For More Info on LeStallion, check out:
https://lestallion.com/

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the Deep Dive.
Today we're getting intosomething pretty universal
self-doubt.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Yeah, that nagging feeling that can really get in
the way.

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Absolutely.
We've been looking at how wecan tackle it, and one really
powerful tool that keeps comingup is journaling.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Right, the act of writing things down, reflecting.
It sounds simple, but theimpact can be significant.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
Exactly and we want to explore how it works,
particularly thinking about thekind of tools we use, like the
Lestallion journals we'vementioned before.
They're really designed withthis kind of reflection in mind.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Because self-doubt it shows up in so many ways,
doesn't it?
Imposter syndrome, that fear offailing, just constant negative
self-talk.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
Totally.
It can really undermine yourconfidence, your mental health.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
And the goal here, our mission for this dive, is
really to unpack how journalingmaybe specifically using a
quality journal like Lestallionhelps you challenge those
thoughts.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yeah, how it helps you gain clarity and actually
build up that self-assurance,Because that paper quality, the
durability it signals somethingimportant about the process.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
It does.
It makes the practice feel moreintentional.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
It reminds me a bit of my cousin.
Actually, he was hesitating formonths about starting this
little side business he waspassionate about.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Oh, yeah, what was holding him back?

Speaker 1 (01:17):
Just this constant internal monologue of what if it
fails?
What if people think it'sstupid?
Am I really capable of thisClassic self-doubt stuff?

Speaker 2 (01:26):
Uh-huh, the usual suspects.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
Right and he almost didn't do it, missed out on
something he really wanted, andI just keep thinking if he'd had
a space like a journal to justget those fears out, maybe argue
with them on paper.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
It could have shifted his perspective, though often
does that.
Externalization is key.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
So let's dig into that.
Where does this stuff, thisself-doubt, actually come from?

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Well, research points to a few common culprits,
things like low self-esteem,maybe rooted in past experiences
, negative feedback loops.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Or comparing ourselves constantly to others,
especially online these days.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Definitely, social comparison is a big one, and
also perfectionism, that driveto be flawless.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
Oh, that's a trap, that feeling of it's not good
enough.
So you just procrastinate ordon't even start.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Exactly, it's a major source of fear.
Then there's, as you mentioned,imposter syndrome, that feeling
you're a fraud, even when youhave evidence you're competent.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
Yeah, waiting to be found out.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Right and just that harsh inner critic, constantly
pointing out flaws, plus thestraightforward fear of failure,
avoiding challenges altogether.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
It's quite a cocktail of negativity.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
It is.
But recognizing these specificpatterns in yourself, that's the
first crucial step.
You need to see it to change it.

Speaker 1 (02:41):
Okay, so how does journaling help with that
identification piece?

Speaker 2 (02:45):
Well, writing forces you to articulate the thoughts,
but features in some journals,like the table of contents you
find in certain Listallionmodels that can be really
practical here.
How?

Speaker 1 (02:55):
so.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
Think about it.
You could dedicate sections orjust tag entries whenever you
notice, say that, perfectionistthinking popping up or when the
inner critic gets loud.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
So use the table of contents to track those specific
instances.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
Exactly Over time you build this map of your own
self-doubt, triggers and themes.
It makes the patternsundeniable, much clearer than
when they're just thoughtsbouncing around in your head.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
That's really smart, organizing the chaos in a way.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
Precisely, I worked with someone once a graphic
designer, incredibly talentedbut plagued by perfectionism.
Starting any new project wasagony.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
Because the blank page felt too intimidating.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
Totally the fear of not meeting his own impossible
standards.
He started journaling, justgetting the anxiety down on
paper.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
Did it help him see the pattern?

Speaker 2 (03:42):
It really did.
He wrote about the pressure hefelt before even starting, and
seeing it written down entryafter entry helped him realize
how unrealistic it was.
He consciously started breakingprojects into tiny steps.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
And celebrating the small wins, maybe.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Yes, exactly that Celebrating just getting started
or finishing a small component.
It gradually lessened thatinitial fear just by identifying
and then actively counteringthe perfectionist tendency he
saw in his journal.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
That's a great example.
So identifying is the firststep.
How does journaling then helpactively shift that negative
thinking?
Because our mindset reallyshapes our reality, doesn't it?

Speaker 2 (04:19):
Absolutely Self-doubt reinforces itself.
It creates these negativemental pathways.
Journaling helps carve out new,more positive ones.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
Okay, like how?
What are the specifictechniques?

Speaker 2 (04:31):
Well, one big one is writing positive affirmations,
consciously choosing and writingdown statements about your
strengths, your worth, yourability to cope.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
So actively replacing the negative self-talk.

Speaker 2 (04:42):
Yes, you're deliberately feeding your mind
positive input.
It sounds a bit clichesometimes, but the act of
writing them consistently makesa difference, especially perhaps
in a journal that feelssubstantial, important.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
Right, it gives them more weight, what else?

Speaker 2 (04:56):
Tracking your wins.
Self-doubt often blinds us toour successes, so making a daily
habit of noting down things youaccomplish, even small things.

Speaker 1 (05:04):
Like I spoke up in that meeting or I finished that
difficult email.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
Exactly Anything.
It builds this concreteevidence file against the
self-doubt.
You look back and see wow, Iactually do achieve things Using
those line pages in alistallion.
Maybe one line per win givesyou a visualist.

Speaker 1 (05:20):
Builds momentum.
I like that and gratitudepractice.
I imagine that fits in here too.

Speaker 2 (05:25):
Definitely Focusing on what you do have, what you
appreciate, shifts your focusaway from perceived lacks or
failures.
It fosters a generally morepositive baseline.

Speaker 1 (05:35):
Which makes it harder for the negativity to take root
.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
Precisely.
And then there's reframingfailures.
This is huge.
Instead of seeing a mistake ora setback as proof, you're
inadequate.

Speaker 1 (05:45):
You look for the lesson.

Speaker 2 (05:45):
You look for the lesson, you ask what can I learn
from this?
How can I grow?
Journaling is the perfect placeto process that to consciously
reframe the narrative aroundsetbacks.

Speaker 1 (05:56):
Okay so affirmations wins gratitude.
Reframing powerful stuff.
You mentioned Lestallionjournals often have numbered
pages.
How does that feature play intothis shifting process?

Speaker 2 (06:08):
Ah, numbered pages are great for tracking progress
over time.
Let's say you're workingthrough that reframing idea.
You might write about adifficult experience on page 50,
feeling pretty low about it.
Then, maybe a week later, onpage 65, you reflect again what
did you learn?
How have your feelings changed?

Speaker 1 (06:27):
Ah, so the numbers.
Let you easily flip back andsee that evolution.

Speaker 2 (06:31):
Exactly.
You can literally trace yourshift in perspective.
You see the growth documented.
It's incredibly reinforcing torealize you can change how you
view things.

Speaker 1 (06:41):
I can see that it's like building your own personal
case study and resilience.
I had a friend who used thismaybe not intentionally at first
.
She was job hunting, facingrejection after rejection Tough
situation.
Yeah, and she felt like a totalfailure.
But she kept a journal, justventing mostly, but sometimes
she'd jot down something small.
She learned from an interview,even a bad one.
Her journal had numbered pages.

Speaker 2 (07:03):
And later.

Speaker 1 (07:03):
Later, feeling discouraged, she flipped back
and she saw this patterneddisappointment, yes, but almost
always followed by some noteabout a lesson learned or a new
approach to try.
Seeing that documented journeyon those numbered pages, it
really helped her realize shewasn't failing, she was adapting
.

Speaker 2 (07:20):
That's it right there the power of reflection
facilitated by simple features.

Speaker 1 (07:27):
So let's talk a bit more about those Lestallion
features.
We know they focus on quality,that luxurious faux leather, the
nice paper.
How do those tangible thingsspecifically help with something
as internal as self-doubt?

Speaker 2 (07:38):
It's about the experience, the ritual, that
smooth paper, for instance, ifyour pen just glides, no
scratching, no bleed through it,removes friction.

Speaker 1 (07:48):
Makes you want to write more.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
Exactly.
It encourages consistency,which is vital for changing
thought patterns.
And the durable build, thesolid hardcover.
It feels like it respects theimportance of the work you're
doing.

Speaker 1 (08:01):
Like, this journey of self-discovery is worth
investing in, worth protecting.

Speaker 2 (08:04):
Precisely, and that soft touch cover some have can
feel comforting, safe.
You're often putting vulnerablethoughts down.

Speaker 1 (08:10):
Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2 (08:13):
Having a journal that feels physically welcoming can
make it easier to be honest withyourself.
It becomes a trusted space.

Speaker 1 (08:18):
And the lined pages in many models like the Arjois
or Guarano.
We touched on structure.

Speaker 2 (08:23):
Right when you're untangling complex feelings or
trying to pin down thoseslippery negative thoughts.
The lines provide a helpfulguide.
They encourage clarity, preventthoughts from feeling too
scattered.
It helps organize the internaldialogue.

Speaker 1 (08:36):
So it's not just a notebook.
The physical qualities areactually part of the therapeutic
process, helping you engagemore deeply.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
I really believe so.
The whole package encouragesintentionality and makes the
sometimes difficult work offacing self-doubt feel a bit
more manageable, even inviting.

Speaker 1 (08:55):
Okay, so wrapping this up then, what's the main
thing we want people to takeaway from this type dive?

Speaker 2 (08:58):
I think the core message is that journaling is a
genuinely powerful, accessiblestrategy for managing and
overcoming self-doubt.
It's not magic.
It takes consistency but, itgives you that essential space
for self-reflection, for seeingthose negative patterns clearly.

Speaker 1 (09:13):
And for actively practicing techniques like
affirmations, gratitude,reframing, tracking, wins all
stuff that builds a morepositive mindset.

Speaker 2 (09:21):
Exactly it builds self-awareness, mindfulness and
empowers you to challenge thoseold, unhelpful beliefs and step
into more confidence.

Speaker 1 (09:28):
And using a premium journal, something like a
listallion.
It isn't strictly necessary,but it enhances the experience.
It becomes more than just paper.
It's like a companion in thatgrowth, with features
thoughtfully designed to supportthe journey.

Speaker 2 (09:42):
Well said, it elevates the practice.

Speaker 1 (09:45):
So maybe the final thought to leave you with is
this Consider how creating thatdedicated space, maybe with a
tool you actually enjoy using,could help you start rewriting
your own inner story.

Speaker 2 (09:56):
What's?
One small step, maybe just onesentence you could write down
today to begin that process.

Speaker 1 (10:02):
Food for thought.
That's our deep dive for today.
Thanks for exploring this withus.
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