10 tips to help increase your confidence at work!
Hey Siri: Please put the idea of ‘fake it till you make it’ in the trash bin
Confidence is more than just an outward appearance of seeming to have it all together, it’s the internal feeling of not having it all together, but being content in knowing that you are doing your best and living true to yourself.
So, why do you need confidence in the work-place? Having confidence in the workplace can benefit your career by giving you a happier mindset, reduced stress, ability to take on challenging tasks, communicate with coworkers more deeply, reduced fear, and increased job performance.
Sounds great, right? Here are some tips to increase your confidence in the workplace:
- Don’t focus on what others think. Why focus on something that isn’t helping you succeed? They probably aren’t ‘thinking’ of you in the ways you perceive anyways. Use that energy to be who you WANT them to perceive you to be. Be your best self. Value what YOU think of yourself.
- Recognize your strengths. When you realize your strengths and use them to your advantage, your work can only improve! With that being said, recognize your weaknesses and don’t be afraid to ask for help, people love sharing what they are good at.
- Define your own version of success. Everyone’s milestones are different. Think about where you were 5 years ago. How proud would that version of you be of where you are today? Probably super freaking proud! Use your own roadmap to figure out where you want to go next and what a successful future looks like to you.
- Stay curious. Wondering how the graphic designer down the hall creates those aesthetic ads? Figure it out! Listen to your curiosities and use them to learn more about a certain aspect on your own time or maybe at work if you can! If anything, it will be another topic you can relate to when you’re at your next networking event talking to a graphic designer.
- Why so serious? While it’s important to be professional, having a light-hearted approach to mistakes or shortcomings can help you recognize what went wrong and allow you to be more open to understanding and learning in order to be more prepared for a similar challenge. And HAVE FUN. There’s nothing worse for your self-esteem than taking yourself too seriously. Yes, do your job well, but you can also have fun while you’re doing it.
- Nothing brings you down like yourself. Cut the negative self-talk. Yes, it’s easier to say (literally) than do, but talk to yourself kindly! A positive mindset will help you learn more easily, which will boost confidence in the long run.
- New skill, who dis? Remember when you were a kid and you rode your bike without the training wheels for the first time? You can have that same feeling as a professional, too! There is always room for improvement, and learning new skills will not only enhance proficiency at your job, but will also boost confidence. Even if you don’t use the skill in your current job, you might use it later on, in your personal life or you’ll just feel awesome from learning something new!
- Ask for feedback. Show that you care about your work and want to succeed. Being able to ask is a form of confidence itself and offhandedly tells your boss that you want to do your best for the company as well.
- Predict the future. Just kidding. But think about who you want to be tomorrow, 6 months, a year, 5 years, whatever your time, think about your future self. Do you want to be a competent public speaker with a higher job title, killer copywriting skills and a Gucci handbag? Well, focus on what you can do now to be that person in the future! Hone in on your skills and be your best self for your future self.
- Find a supportive group — like Ad 2! Find a group, or person who you can lean to for advice and who truly want you to succeed. Chances are, someone has gone through a similar situation as you and will want to shed some advice.
For more overall confidence and mindset tips, follow me on IG (shameless plug because #confidence) @andrea_notondrea
