How do you handle battle between self-doubt and hope/persistence?
anigbrowl: Set goals and triggers (warnings) on different timeframes and levels. Not too many, so you are able to keep track of them mentally and don't spend much time administering your list. Get advice from friends and/or your romantic partner (if you're in a serious relationship) about what should be on that list. Have good friends who will encourage and applaud your progress, and some close ones you can share problems with and who'll tell you if you're driving into the ditch. I have a shrink I go to occasionally and it's good to have someone you can speak to with total unabashed honesty, and who will ask questions or notice things about your thinking patterns that may not even occur to others. A good attorney can fulfill a similar function for some people.Have a safety valve and an anchor, too. Could be a place you go or an activity that lets you reboot mentally when you're having a particularly difficult time, or some obligation or giving-back to acknowledge your good fortune when you find yourself feeling cocky. Church or a community activity fill these roles for some people.Finally, have an escape hatch. Have some place you can take off to for alone time and an excuse for why you will not be available to anyone, because when you go there you disable your phone etc. There are times you need to stop talking, stop planning, stop thinking and just be. To quote an old Zen proverb, if your cup is too full of your thoughts and ideas, there is no room left to pour in new ones. So empty your cup from time to time.