3 Simple Ways To Build Confidence At Work By Shifting Your Mindset
We all want more confidence and higher self-esteem.
getty Do you want to learn how to build confidence in life, but especially at work? It's not an easy task, but it's doable if you know how to shift your mind.
Many years ago, when I set up my coaching practice, a good friend told me that in order to earn my credentials, I should open my heart and share my life experiences.
I gasped silently in horror as I tried to digest the idea of putting all my personal stuff on the internet. I stalled my progress for fear of vulnerability and being judged.
I wasn’t baggage-free and perfect, so why would people want to work with me?
What I realized as my articles reached the other side of the world, was that people identified and appreciated my vulnerabilities. So, they invested in me to help them.
I'm very grateful for where I am today, but there have been many challenges to overcome, just as there are for each of us.
As a coach working in the area of self-esteem and confidence, I've also come from a place very similar to where you may be right now. Sometimes, you just want to scream, "Give me more confidence, please!"
Unfortunately, confidence doesn't grow on trees. It’s a bit like happiness — you can’t just wave a magic wand and suddenly wake up happy and confident.
Learning how to build confidence is a work in progress that starts with your mindset and the relationship you have with yourself.
An enthusiastic entrepreneur or professional job seeker can have passion in their heart and an abundance of skills or knowledge. But, unless they have belief in their ability, they will find the technique of self-promotion very challenging.
Confidence in what you have to offer requires congruence and self-belief that you are the expert and the person to fix the problem.
If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else?
If you're struggling to get your dream job, start your dream career, or want more clients for your business, you can practice selling you.
Here are 3 mindset shifts in order to build your confidence.
1. Work out and dissolve your fear by doing it.
The best way to overcome any fear is to get on and smash through it. Fear is a natural response to a situation that causes us to either fight through something or run away from it.
Grab a piece of paper and answer these questions:
- What is the worst that could happen if I did do it?
- What is the worst that could happen if I didn’t do it?
- What am I sacrificing by not doing it?
- How will I feel after I have done it?
2. Be authentic, not perfect.
Did you know that most of our communication is done telepathically and through our body language?
You may have experienced a conversation with someone where they insist they are speaking the truth but you don’t resonate with what they are saying. This is because we use our intuition to communicate.
People are much more forgiving if you are open and honest and show a little vulnerability because authenticity creates connections.
So whether you are selling a product or service in your business, or selling yourself into a job, try to be honest, have a sense of humor and not take things too seriously.
3. There is no failure, only feedback.
This is one of my favorite throwbacks to start-up clients when they beat themselves up having fluffed an important opportunity. Never overlook the chance to discover what you could do differently.
Without the odd curveball, we could not learn and grow. After all, challenges are there to help us evolve.
Whether you squirm at the thought of standing up in front of a big crowd and talking about yourself or selling yourself on a one-to-one basis, there are always things you will be better at next time.
So, love who you are right now because there is never failure — only feedback. There's no such thing as perfection.
Caroline Rushforth is a Mind and Life Coach. For more information, visit her website.