The way you feel about yourself, your self-esteem, drives your thoughts. These thoughts transform into actions. The actions that you take are the key factors in getting what you want out of life. If you are not achieving your goals, take some time and evaluate how you feel about yourself.

Achieving your goals takes repeated action and you can't give up too early. High self-esteem can give you the drive, determination, and personal power necessary to take these actions and be persistent until you achieve success.

However, if you are constantly critical of yourself, then these feelings will lower your self-esteem. If you have low self-esteem, then it will be more difficult to take the right actions to enable you to achieve your goals. This link between thoughts and actions is what keeps you from getting started or what causes you to give up.

So what can you do to conquer self-doubt and energize your actions? It all starts with positive thinking. Start off by spending some time congratulating yourself for what you have already accomplished in life.

Everyone has had their share of wins. Make a list of these accomplishments and what actions you took to make them happen. Think about the obstacles that you overcame or what special actions you took to reach each goal. This is a great way to acknowledge your successes and give your self-confidence a boost. Your list of wins will be the foundation that you build on for your future successes.

Remember that there is a link between thoughts and actions. It's time to take control of your thoughts. Whenever you start having doubts, pull out your list.

Negative thoughts are the greatest dream killer known to man! Telling yourself "I can't" will lower your self-esteem, reduce the effectiveness of any actions that you take, and prevent you from achieving your goals. Your list of wins is something that can reassure you whenever negative thinking tries to take over your mind.

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.