You are super. Imagine what you can achieve if you believe in yourself with such deep conviction that you fear no failure.
In his book, Unreasonable Success and How to Achieve It, author and investor Richard Kooch, said that belief in yourself is the foundation of success. It is an iron rule. No one ever became ridiculously successful without a strong belief in themselves.
At work, if you believe in yourself, you will take on challenging projects. By engaging in bigger projects, it’s easier for your employers to recognize you. Belief in oneself is also an essential characteristic of a leader. If you doubt yourself, so will others. It’s a fact: a healthy level of confidence is essential to stand out in your job and advance your career.
To believe in yourself sounds simple enough, but most of us find it hard to do so. In fact, according to research done by Dr. Joe Rubino, an internationally acclaimed authority on self-esteem and personal development trainer, 85 percent of Americans suffer from low self-esteem.
We are prone to doubting ourselves, especially at the workplace. There are many reasons for lack of confidence at work. You might have made an error that caused you to doubt your abilities. It could be that you have less experience, lack skills, you’re new, or you’re just being too hard on yourself.
But the good news is it’s never too late to start believing in yourself and boost your confidence at work. Even the most successful and confident people start off with little or low self-confidence. But through their own efforts, they become more confident and braver.
How do I start believing in myself at work?
When you start to believe in yourself, endless possibilities will open up to you. Here are ways you can develop a strong belief in yourself and be more confident at work:
Be True To Who You Are
To learn to believe in yourself, you must first be true to yourself at work. Being comfortable with who you are at the workplace will make it easier for you to show your talents and achievements.
A person who is true to oneself has confidence that is rooted from within. The more you accept and love yourself, the less likely it is you’ll get affected by naysayers. You will also be more confident in expressing your ideas.
Also take some time to think about what you believe in and what matters to you. When you consistently live your life based on your highest values and aspirations, you will feel good about yourself, you will believe in yourself, and you will carry this confidence with you at work.
Capitalize on your strengths and work on your weaknesses.
Know your strengths and find ways you can put them into play in what you do every day at work. Leading from your strengths will keep you engaged and motivated. It makes you self-assured at work. Identifying things you do better than others will give you confidence and help you find opportunities where you can use those strengths.
Identify your weaknesses. Embrace your flaws. Know that it is okay to have them, and you can always work on weaknesses that affect your confidence. Doing things that help you address your weaknesses can help boost your confidence, but remember not to be obsessed on these things.
Change Your Perspective
You dictate your destiny. If you realize your personal power in determining the outcomes in your life, you will be able to overcome whatever challenges you have in your job and career. There will be times when your confidence will be threatened. A mean comment, an error, or a rejection.
Believing in yourself doesn’t mean succeeding all the time. It means being able to rise from failure. To have that resilience to move forward and capacity to quickly recover from rejection at work, you must change your perspective on failure. Of course, you must allow yourself to process the pain of failures, but you must always view failures and frustrations as learning opportunities, not obstacles.
Surround Yourself With The Right People
The process of learning to believe in yourself can be compared to running a triathlon. You will need fuel for your journey. You need to be in the right crowd. Surrounding yourself with people who motivate and support you will fuel your self-belief.
Seek support from the right people. Ask colleagues, friends, or even your supervisor about how you are doing, about your strengths and areas where you can improve more. More often than not, other people are better than you in recognizing your talents.
Shift Your Focus
There are times when you don’t need to seek support from the outside to believe in yourself when you are feeling discouraged. Sometimes, all it takes is for you to shift your focus. Instead of dwelling on failures or weaknesses, reminisce about the times that you succeeded in your career or in which your strengths were highlighted.
Ponder on how you were able to overcome obstacles in the past. Write down the things you are grateful for. By focusing on what you have and what you have achieved, you can change your negative mindset to one that is positive.
Acquire A New Skill
Learning something new always gives a boost of confidence. Whether you are learning a new language or learning to code, acquiring a new skill can increase feelings of self-efficacy, which refers to your belief in your ability to perform tasks, control behavior, and achieve goals. In fact, a study has shown that learning is directly related to happiness. Learning releases dopamine in the brain, a reward molecule, which creates new neural connections, strengthens skills in decision-making and more. You’ll start to believe in yourself, one new skill at a time.
And Lastly, Loosen Up!
Being serious about your job doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. By loosening up and enjoying your work more, you save yourself from taking criticisms or mistakes too seriously. Take these things as learning opportunities, and maintain a healthy and enjoyable work environment that can help you get back on track and be more confident for your next task.
If you believe in yourself, you’ll be happier at work (and outside of work) and get more out of your life!
In love and respect,
Hilary Corna
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