When choosing a direction, how can I avoid being defeated by my own thoughts before I begin?

Before you have learned or tried, do not immediately say, 'I cannot,' 'I do not know how,' or 'I cannot do it.' Nobody is born knowing many work skills. They develop gradually by starting to learn and finding solutions as problems arise. Deciding from the beginning that something is impossible can block the very opportunities you could try.

Try changing that to, 'I am willing to learn. I will give it a try.' Ask when you do not understand, speak up for an opportunity when you need one, and admit mistakes so you can find solutions together. Believing in yourself means allowing effort a chance to begin. You still need to actually learn and do the work.

We have discussed business stories in which people did not dismiss an idea as impossible at once. They asked, tested, and tried. I also remind clients: you are still sitting opposite me, but you have not asked, made a proposal, or spoken with the other person. How do you know there is truly no opportunity? If you cannot think of an approach, listen to family and friends too. It may succeed or fail. First look into it so you can understand the actual difficulties.

Dao Fan's work experience offers an example. At first, restaurant inventory work was something Dao Fan strongly resisted, fearing insufficient logical ability and being unable to manage it. Later, learning alongside a supervisor gradually revealed the relationships among portions, recipes, and costs. It became interesting, and Dao Fan saw that it was possible to do. The original fear was real, but that early assessment of ability was not the whole picture. Giving yourself opportunities to learn and try is what allows you to see later changes.