Do you trust yourself?

In today’s uncertain world, many people are learning the need to trust themselves like never before. For some, business relationships are changing all around them. Others find they are reinventing their entire work life. In all cases, there are decisions to be made and this is usually when trust is needed.

Yet trusting yourself is not always easy. For example…

• that gnawing anxiety about the next re-organisation: an intuition to be trusted… or just a baseless projection of fear?
• an uneasy feeling about a new client or boss: personal insecurity in the face of the unknown… or a red flag that needs attention?
• the decision you feel you need to make even though you don’t have all the facts… trust your gut… or dig a bit deeper?
• that insightful presentation you attended, relevant to your career/business development: do you signup… or postpone?

Trust and Confidence

In many European languages other than English, the word for “Trust” and “Confidence” is the same. In English, trust is defined as “a firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something”.?Confidence is more about the feeling that results from trust, which is why it often takes longer to build.?

Confidence usually develops from practice. Take networking or presenting: whatever confidence we have usually comes from doing it first, without the confidence. In my own case, I sometimes joke that “confidence grew from the legs upwards, rather than from the head downwards”. It’s not that I thought a new thought and then became confident; though I often searched for these magical thoughts. In practice, I often had to go ahead without it.

In other words, trust is often more vital than confidence. It’s trust that allows you to take risks, to reach out to someone even though you don’t know how they might react. Trust allows you to make that pitch, or do that presentation, even though you are not as prepared as you would like to be. Trust allows you to work for next year’s revenue, even if you don’t see yet where it’s coming from.

Self-management

Trusting of ourselves is of course fundamental, which is why self-worth is the rich soil that allows all developmental activity to grow. This is particularly important during uncertain times, when trust of self is at a premium.

Our next webinar “Self-management during uncertain times” is on June 4th at 12noon UK / 13h Brussels time.? In this session we explore some core daily practices that energise people during difficult times. Covering:

• Typical scenarios currently creating uncertainty
• How to spot the hidden effects of uncertainty on your focus and energy
• 4 common pitfalls to avoid?
• Defining your own professional compass, so you trust yourself and your abilities
• 5 practical habits to weave into every day?
• When and how to start creating an informal advisory board

Register here for free

? John Niland, May 2024. For enquiries about John as coach or speaker, on topics of self-worth and professional identity, see www.selfworthacademy.com