How is your self-confidence? I want everyone to love their job and thrive in their career. And so over the past week I’ve asked dozens of individuals who are in job or career transition the same question: “What obstacles are getting in the way of having a job and career you love?”
The Number One response is…
Lack of Self-Confidence and Insecurity.
Now, I’m not going to spend time talking about the impact of fear and insecurity on your life. I suspect we all can name countless examples of times when lack of confidence interfered with getting what we want. I know I can. If you have been grappling with insecurity for years, then you have probably felt at times as if you were at war with your own mind. Today I want to give you some tactics you can apply to get immediate results.
If you sometimes struggle with your own sense of insecurity, here are some tricks to bolster your confidence.
1) Make a list of your successes.
We all have successes in our lives: times we achieved a goal or overcame a difficulty. We almost never take the time to look at them and savor them as a valuable collection. Look at the goals you achieved, think about the obstacles and challenges you overcame. Notice the many and varied ways you have personally succeeded. Begin to claim this as your new mantra, “I did it then; I can do it again.” Look in the mirror and say these words aloud, “I did it then; I can do it again.” Observe how many of your successes include experiences where at some point in the journey you had no idea whether things would work out. In fact, along the way you worried about the outcome, yet you persisted and ultimately succeeded. How did you keep yourself going? Really give attention to your personal success stories. And remind yourself, if you did it then, you can do it again.
2) Bombard your mind with positive messages, words, and sounds that inspire you.
It might be a specific song you find encouraging. Sometimes I love to listen to Dan Fogelberg’s “Part of Plan,” yet at other times, I like to listen to George Winston’s “Winter Into Spring” album for inspiration. Keep in mind, music is very personal. Listen to what encourages and inspires you. I also listen to hypnosis audios. I’ve a collection that I choose from depending on how much time I have and what’s on my mind.
3) Get physical!
Fresh air, sunshine, and activity can do wonders for your frame of mind. Or, check out this amazing TED video to learn how just standing in the Wonder Woman (or Super Man) power pose for 2 minutes can boost your confidence and sense of hope.
Whether you have 2 minutes or 20, you can take action to bolster your confidence. You can use these in the moment, or the night before.
I want you to love your job and thrive in your career. Mostly I want you to embrace how valuable you are and know how much you have to offer the world. I want you to believe in yourself. I encourage you to try out these techniques and let me know what works for you.