Your dominant feelings about yourself, any negative feelings regarding self-worth, serve to color your thoughts. And it is your thoughts which ultimately drive your actions. It is the actions you take which determine your life's outcomes. So if your life isn't quite panning out in the way you want it to, you need to spend some time thinking about whether low self-esteem has something to do with it.

If you want to achieve your goals you need to take repeated action. One of the biggest reasons most people don't achieve their goals is because they give up on them too early. If you have high self-esteem you are more likely to have the stickability to see your plans through to fruition.

If you continually criticize yourself then this will lower your self-esteem. If you have low self-esteem you will find it more difficult to take the necessary actions to achieve your goals. The link between thoughts and actions will either be a negative for you or a positive.

So, how can you conquer self-doubt and put real power into your actions? You must learn to think positively. Learn to congratulate yourself on everything you've already accomplished in life.

We've all had some successes. Make a list of yours and try to analyze what actions you took to enable you to succeed. What obstacles did you have to overcome? Thinking and analyzing like this is a great way to reinforce your confidence. Keep a journal of your successes that you can refer back to when you need a self-confidence boost.

The central point you must remember is that there is a definite link between your thoughts and actions. You must take control of your thoughts and direct them into channels that will be beneficial to you. Whenever any doubts creep in, pull out your journal.

Negative thoughts are your enemy, don't forget that. Every time you tell yourself 'I can't' you immediately reduce your self-esteem and confidence and put another barrier in the way to achieving your goals. That's why putting your 'wins' in a journal can be so beneficial - it gives you something tangible to help get you back on the right track when doubt begins to creep in.

Instead, tell yourself "I can". Positive thoughts bring confidence, optimism, and focused action which give you a much better chance of achieving your goals. "I can" is a great way to plant seeds in your mind for positive thoughts. The resulting high self-esteem will provide the extra edge that you need to drive away your fears and eliminate any doubt that keeps you from accomplishing your goals.