Soft Skills: Confidence

Confidence - what does it mean to you? For everyone one of us this question will mean something different and so will your answers.

Starting out in your Career?

Imagine if you are someone starting out in your career. Everything is new, everything you have ever known is now behind you. This is something you knew would happen, but now that it is, it is daunting and a step you suddenly wonder if you are ready to take. The move from university to the commercial world is here! Now what?

Returning to your Career?

You have been in a career, you have experienced what it is like to be in a fast paced environment but then... comes a career break! You know you want to get back to where you were before you took a break, but suddenly the brakes are on and you are not sure that this is the right place to be! Now what?

Well, in either of these to scenarios, the 'Now what?' is the only thing holding you back.

"Inaction breeds doubt & fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy"

~Dale Carnegie

As this quote by Dale Carnegie says, you need to take action. Now is the time to follow that pathway that you have in your mind. But how do you do this, when perhaps your level of confidence is not where it should be? Having confidence is really about having a positive state of mind. A can do attitude!

What holds most of us back at some point in our career is a feeling that we are not good enough to have the roles we have, we are not experienced enough or we simply do not have the necessary skill sets which the role requires.

This is called 'Imposter Syndrome' and at some point in our careers we will all suffer from it. And guess what! that's OK! But how do you know if you are suffering from this?

'Imposter Syndrome' is where you can doubt your skills, talents and accomplishments and have a fear of being exposed as a fraud. BUT, you should only let your feelings like this manifest for less than 1 minute. Your career pathway can veer left, veer right, go backwards sometimes but mostly move straight ahead but whichever way it goes, it takes your skills, talents and accomplishments with it! SO, should you dwell on your fear and doubts or focus on what you have to offer? Of course, it should be to focus on the great things! Focus on the experiences and skills you can offer!

Am I making this sound easy to be confident? Perhaps, but I know it isn't easy to feel confident all the time. But here are some tips to help you bring your confidence forward and move the imposter syndrome back.

"Positivity, confidence and persistence are key in life, so never give up on yourself."

~ Khalid

5 Top Tips to gain your confidence back

• Set your goal and make sure you measure your progress
• Be kind to you and remember not to judge yourself against others, everyone has their own pathway
• Remember people want to learn from you as much as you want to learn from them
• Look at what you have already accomplished and learnt and keep moving this forward
• Know what makes you happy and surround yourself with happiness

When your next thought is 'Now what?' - turn it is into 'Now is the Time!'.

So, are feeling a lack of confidence right now?

If so, please let me know in the comments below and let me help you gain your confidence back. Let me flip the words around and say 'What NOW?' and my answer will be 'Yes'.

REMEMBER:

"Experience tells you want to do, confidence allows you to do it."

~Stan Smith

Be Confident in You.

Hazel