I know in my own life, building up self-confidence in my ability to succeed and thrive in business has been an ongoing process. Sometimes I take three steps forward and two steps backward. The key is never giving up on yourself and your ability to make personal and professional goals reality.
Here are some practical tips I've learned for boosting business self-confidence:
1. Appreciate where you are now and what you’ve achieved in your life and your business. I’ve found that women often have a difficult time appreciating our accomplishments. We have a tendency to find the “flaws” before we’ll give ourselves a well-deserved pat on the back.
A while back there was an interesting self-confidence study involving men and women. A part of the study involved each person describing themselves to someone they had never met. The key was that they were doing this over the telephone and the other person could not see them.
Here are the results – The majority of men described themselves based on their accomplishments, career achievements and hobbies. The majority of women described themselves based on their physical looks, the flaws they found in themselves (especially their appearance) and how they served others.
Generally, what does that say about how we women see ourselves out in the business world? Do we base our career self-confidence on appearance and flaws or achievements and accomplishments?
2. Make a detailed list of your personal and professional talents, gifts and strengths. How can you appreciate your greatness if you don’t understand how great you are? We often take for granted how truly talented we are. Is it time to step back and acknowledge all that you do and have the ability to do with your career? Is it time to come out of your career comfort zone and go for those bigger and bolder goals?
3. Become aware of how you talk to yourself about yourself. The most important words you’ll hear are the ones you say to yourself. As soon as your mind hears the sound of your voice, it is ready to listen and obey. For example, if you keep saying to yourself that you never do anything right, your mind is going to remind you of all the times you made mistakes.
Greater personal and professional self-confidence begins on the inside and works its way out. Napoleon Hill the author of Think and Grow Rich probably said it best, “Thoughts become things.” Do your internal thoughts about your ability to succeed and thrive increase or decrease your business self-confidence?
4. Decide when and how you are going to expand your career comfort zone. Make small short-term goals and achieve them. Then, give yourself permission to bask in the enjoyment of making those goals reality. You’ll become pleasantly surprised at just how quickly small steps become self-confident giant leaps.
5. Keep learning, growing and expanding your horizons toward greater personal and professional successes. Take the classes, work with a coach, seek out mentors and then begin using your new skills in your day-to-day life. Remember also to speak up when you have a question, it is all part of the learning and growing process.
I remember lyrics from a song that said, “Inch by inch is a cinch - Yard by yard is much harder.” Pat yourself on the back for every small step forward – appreciate your day-to-day, month-to-month and year-to-year progress.
Personal and professional self-confidence is based on the unwavering belief you have in your ability to achieve what you set out to accomplish. The key to enhancing your business self-confidence is never giving up on yourself and your ability to make personal and professional goals reality.
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Sharon Recommends
Here is an offsite link to Amazon.com - I'd like to recommend my new Kindle book - How To Create The Mindset of Prosperity and Wealth - The empowered woman's guide to developing and enjoying an unstoppable moneymaking attitude. Here is a powerful money success truth: You will only allow yourself to succeed financially if you believe you are worthy and deserving of financial success.
How To Create The Mindset of Prosperity and Wealth (Women Empowering Women Series)
