Confidence, the most consistent topic that comes up...

Hi everyone,

It feels like a while since we've been in your inbox, time takes on a whole different dynamic when you're a parent - don't you think?

I found myself saying to my eldest earlier this week 'it doesn't feel like the first day back from half term', to which she replied 'it isn't'?

No wonder we never feel like we have enough time, especially?when?we skip certain weeks all together...!

Anyway.? Moving on swiftly...how have you been??

It's been a busy few weeks for us, but one of the highlights has been going into an agency to talk all things confidence.

Confidence is the most consistent topic that comes up when we talk to working parents, specifically working mothers.??

I think it stems from the?fact that women?in general lack confidence? (to varying degrees of course), which exacerbates when we become working mothers - how can it not, when you're grappling with so much change???

New identity, new routines, heightened emotions relating to your kids and what they're going through, and so much newness coming back into the working world after some time away.? Underpinned by sleep deprivation which you never realised was even possible to survive.?

It's not easy.? But after years of exploring confidence, this is the conclusion that I've come to:

'Confidence is a place to come from, not a place to get to'

So often we explicitly/implicitly tell ourselves 'once I get that promotion/once I can overcome this/once I get more skills...THEN I will be able to feel confident'.?

But have you ever noticed the fleeting nature of this?? You may feel confident when you achieve something, and then you go back to feeling a little wobbly.

And that's because somewhere along the line, we've come to implicitly/explicitly tell ourselves that we're not enough - not good/intelligent/interesting enough, and that ends up speaking louder than any kind of evidence to say otherwise.

And it's when we can change the relationship with these beliefs and stories that we tell ourselves, that our relationship with confidence can change.

Feeling curious to know more? We'd love to come and share our thoughts all around this, be it over lunch or a longer workshop to really delve deeper into it.

We'd be so interested to hear how you feel about your confidence, what's the one thing that would make a difference to how confidently you show up in work and in life?? And what difference would that make for you?

Until next time,

Takako and Jess x