To achieve confidence in the workplace, you must first take steps to discover your weaknesses. After all, even the most confident people in the world still have moments that push them out of their comfort zone. You can achieve confidence in the workplace, whether it’s a lack of confidence or simply the need for additional years of experience. Subsequently, learning to overcome self-doubt and implement this new skill set will transform your life, both in a work environment and in your personal life.
“Never doubt your efforts—one person can make an enormous difference.” – Nelson Mandela
Step One: Prioritize your Self-esteem.
Ask yourself one critical question. Am I stunted by a lack of self-esteem or a lack of self-confidence? These often misrepresented aspects of insecurity may feel the same. However, they are two completely different components. Self-esteem is the scale of confidence you have within yourself. It is an individual subjective measure of how you feel about yourself as a human being and the level of respect and admiration you have for your integrity and self-worth.
Write down a list of the positives and negatives. Writing is powerful. Seeing the list will reinforce your need to take action. Ask yourself what you can do to grow the positives and how you can reduce low confidence aspects of yourself. This list is essential for becoming self-assured in the workplace and life. Set new goals for yourself. Take a walk, get some fresh air, or hit the gym. These efforts will improve your mental health; the better you feel about yourself, the better your self-esteem will be.
Step Two: Grow your Self-Confidence.
By definition, self-confidence is an individual subjective measure of your capabilities. With this in mind, ask yourself, what am I good at? What area am I most confident in, with my personal skillset to achieve, and can I do these things solely? Once you determine your most vital skills, write them down and refer to them often. By specifying your natural skillset, you will discover that this list will be valuable in writing resumes, social media bios, professional summaries (like on LinkedIn), and many other aspects of your life.
The power of writing down these skill sets is unmeasurable. Allow yourself to see where you lack confidence compared to areas where you are the strongest. Listing your strengths and weaknesses will pinpoint your expertise and your shortcomings. Take action and place your energy into growing the aspects of life you are most confident in; if you have attained a particularly impressive skillset, share that expertise with others. Dedicate your time to share your knowledge. In this situation, you can teach, become a role model, or provide others the confidence boost they need. Nothing grows self-confidence faster than sharing your expertise with others.
Step Three: Take On New Challenges.
To emphasize your new dedication to personal and professional growth, make a plan to challenge yourself. Begin your day with a positive attitude and focus on the positive skills you have itemized on your list. Undoubtedly, you will encounter negative thoughts. Take action and prioritize self-awareness, and don’t allow yourself to accept that negative language.
In the event that you hit a mental blockade and discover an overwhelming self-doubt that you cannot seem to overcome? Tackle it head-on. Talk to anyone who will listen about it. Seek a professional if need be. You deserve to overcome these challenges and begin living with confidence.
If you hear about a new project at work, try to join the team! Undoubtedly, this will invoke insecurity, but push away that anxiety and challenge yourself. Sizable projects will provide opportunities to take on new tasks. More often than not, you will uncover new skill sets that you excel at. What if a new adventure leads you in a direction that could change your entire life? It would be worth the risk of conquering your fear, wouldn’t it?
Step Four: Promote Self-Positivity.
When a person becomes an expert on a topic, they can naturally speak to any aspect of their field. When you know more than anyone, what is there to fear? Have you ever watched a keynote speaker at a Ted Talk or an event and thought, “I wish I could be that comfortable as a public speaker.” Guess what? You can! It all comes down to practice. In fact, many of the people you are envious of have to chant positive affirmations in their inner minds just to get the confidence to take the stage. It may appear that they have achieved ultimate perfectionism, but I promise you that is not true. Do you know the one skill set they have discovered? Self-confidence.
By appearance, self-assured people may have ultimate self-esteem, but self-esteem has nothing to do with confidence on stage. Their overall presence directly reflects their hard work and dedication to their passion. Passionate people captivate an audience’s engagement. Workplace confidence is achievable for you. Simply put, it’s up to you.
Step 5: Avoid Negativity.
Once you dedicate your attention to achieving confidence in the workplace and life, your team members and friends will begin to see your positivity. Positivity is contagious. When you feel good, an innate reaction is that you will effortlessly start building confidence in those around you. Unquestionably, every person can dig into their memory archive and think about one person, friend, or a co-worker they deemed secure, positive, and self-assured. Transversely, we can remember a person that was depressing, not motivated, and a buzzkill to be around.
In these two scenarios, picture the body language of each person. How did other people relate to them? How is their life now? What kind of self-talk do you think each one of these people prioritized? This powerful mental exercise will remind you that your posture, body language, focus, and discipline are the key to your confidence. The greater you grow your self-confidence, the better your self-esteem will become.
Who Can Help You Gain Confidence in the Workplace?
Jeffrey Benjamin offers Breakthrough Training Courses to get you motivated and back in the driver’s seat of your life and career. These courses provide real-life solutions to your most significant obstacles to maximize productivity and get results! Jeffrey’s vision is to help people achieve their goals and live their dreams through action, not theory. That’s why Breakthrough Training™ programs center on practicing the behaviors and habits that lead to more personal and organizational productivity.
Best of Success to you!