Whether you’re an artist or a surgeon, self confidence is essential to your success. This is especially true at work.
Do you always feel self-confident while at work? Every once in a while you might experience some feelings of self-doubt, it isn’t always obvious. But if you’re passing on assignments, doubting your ability to take on tricky assignments, or coming up with reasons that you can’t take on new challenges, that’s a red flag. You might even be procrastinating until you’re nearly out of time to complete a new project.
It doesn’t mean all work related problems are caused by or are a lack of self-confidence issue. But self-confidence (or lack of) could be at the center of larger problems. You might actually sabotage yourself by not taking the necessary steps because you don’t believe you’re capable.
If you lack self-confidence, your low self-esteem could be apparent to others. It’s pretty obvious that if you don’t believe in your own abilities, your boss and peers might not either. If you’re not sure of your confidence level or how you are perceived by your peers at work, talk to a close trusted friend. He or she might be able to give you some insights.
The problem is that if others take note of your lack of self-confidence, it can become a vicious cycle. Your boss senses your lack of self-confidence. He or she notices your lack of progress, which stems from procrastination and other symptoms. Now you’re trusted less and less important assignments come your way. You then notice the lack of trust others have in you and your self-confidence level sinks even lower.
Well, the good news (yup there’s good news) is that it does not have to end this way. Once it dawns on you that you have some self-confidence issues at work, you can actually take some action and make change.
Here are some tips:
- Be prepared. If you know a new procedure is coming up, start studying the procedure right away. This takes away the mystery, the uncertainty, and the stress away.
- Don’t procrastinate. By waiting until the last minute on a project, you’re not putting in your best effort. If you’re rushed to complete your project, it is more likely that your confidence in that undertaking, and by extension your personal output will be low.
- Admit you’re having self-confidence issues. If you don’t admit you have self-confidence issues, you’ll never learn let alone grow.
- Volunteer to take on new tasks. Start with small tasks to build up your esteem. Focus on something that you feel you could master eventually. Clearly now is not the time to take on the firm’s most high profile client. Instead, if you’re an artist, create a new business card or write article for the company newsletter.
The key is to build your self-confidence by doing things you’re good at. From there you build your way up to difficult tasks that you previously avoided. Having self-confidence is a pretty essential part of your success at work. It pays to be aware of your self-confidence levels and to take steps to develop them whenever necessary. Challenge yourself – you can do it.
Other articles of interest:
Career Management: Are You Making A Great Impression?
Top Tips From An Executive Career Coach
