We spend so much time worrying about what failure looks like. Why not picture how success would make you feel instead? It’s an often overlooked but very important way to start building up your self belief skills.
Why is self belief important
Self belief is a Young Professional skill that’s a powerful mix of motivation, resilience and a positive attitude. It will get you far in life… but it’s like a muscle you have to train.
Growing self-esteem and a positive attitude are a big part of self-belief.
Think about it. How would it feel to achieve your goals?
This week’s Young Professional challenge is a really quick one. It may not even take a minute, and you can think of it as being as quick and simple as brushing your teeth, but it comes with longterm positive benefits – just like brushing your teeth does.
Pick a goal you want to achieve.
Pick any goal you like. It might be:
- Getting through a dreaded event (exam, social event you’re not looking forward to, first day in new job, you name it)
- Scoring a goal for your team
- Achieving a health goal by summer
- Starting or completing a course of study
- Starting or completing a creative project
- Beginning an interesting new job in an environment you like
Now list three ways you’d feel good about yourself after achieving that goal.
- Would you feel like you were closer to the person you wanted to be?
- Would you feel like you were giving yourself room to try new things?
- Would you feel like yes, you CAN achieve something?
- Would you feel more a part of things?
- Would you feel more courage in your convictions?
Feeling good about yourself is like a muscle that you’ll want to train every day. We always worry about our past failures and mistakes like a dog chewing a bone. They get stuck in our head, and sometimes it feels like they’re taking up all our energy. Your brain needs a little clear-out now and then – so this challenge helps you do the opposite and happily imagine the positive feelings you’d have about yourself and your future success instead! Sometimes, feeling good about something and having a positive attitude to a goal makes you more likely to achieve it.
When you’ve done this challenge, try keeping a diary of personal achievements for a week. It will help you see how you’re doing.
