1. Clarify you Career and Personal Goals
95% of people have no written goals. Who do they work for? The 5% of people who do! If you don’t have goals and a plan of you’re own, you will become part of someone else’s. Writing down your goals will give you focus and help you to start noticing all of the opportunities to achieve them. Make a plan with milestones so that you will know you’re on track. Your achievements along the way will boost your confidence and motivate you to keep going. Your career goals need to enable the achievement of your personal goals, so write down your personal goals first.
2. Continuous learning
Read books, attend seminars, go on training courses – in your own specific field or areas related to your sector or even business in general. Knowledge gives you confidence. The most successful people are lifelong learners.
3. Look the part
Image matters so it’s important to dress appropriately. Dress at least as smartly and professionally as your clients. If you’re aiming for promotion, dress according to that level in your organisation. If in doubt about how to dress for work, invest in a consultation with a good image consultant. It will boost your confidence and save you money by showing you how to make better buying decisions.
4. Learn to influence
You may not have a formalised sales role, but everybody is in sales…medical professionals sell diagnoses and cures to their patients; teachers sell ideas and information to their students; managers sell desired business outcomes to their teams; everybody needs to sell themselves to their boss and/or clients. Invest in your influencing skills to help you build better relationships and get more of what you want. Read “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.
5. Choose your environment
Check that the people closest to you at home, at work and socially are supportive of you making progress in your career and if they’re not, start making some new friends. Pay attention also to what you are watching, reading and listening to in the media. Negative influences will damage your confidence while positive, encouraging ones will raise you up.
6. Expand your Comfort Zone
Your success zone is equal to your comfort zone. When you repeatedly do things which are outside your comfort zone, your comfort zone grows to include them making you more confident. Do something outside your comfort zone everyday.
7. Improve your beliefs
As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t – you’re right”. Our beliefs are formed mostly by the age of 5 through the influence of our parents, teachers etc. The beliefs that served them and served you as a child, are not necessarily the beliefs you need now to help you achieve your career goals. If you’re not achieving what you want, have a look at your beliefs about yourself, your skills and your abilities. If you need to change any of them, read “Peak Performance in 60 Seconds” by Chris Walton.
8. Improve your Law of Attraction
The Law of Attraction states that whatever you give your attention, energy and focus to will manifest in your life – positive or negative. Your subconscious mind doesn’t recognise “don’t”, “not” and “no”. Are you focused on what you DO want or what you DON’T want? Instead of worrying about what you don’t want to happen, focus on finding ways to get what you want. The universe will deliver whatever you are focused on whether you want it or not. Check your thoughts and language and change anything that’s not positive. Read “The Law ofAttraction” by Michael Losier.
9. Gratitude
Take time everyday to reflect on and be grateful for all the wonderful things in your life – health, family, friends, achievements, an enjoyable experience, attractive scenery… Start a Gratitude Journal and write down 3-5 things each day for which you feel grateful. Tied in with Law of Attraction, focussing on these things will attract more good things into your life and increase your confidence.
10. Fake it til you make it
Last but not least…sometimes you just have to pretend to be confident even when you don’t feel it. A useful tool for doing this is to imagine how you would feel, think and behave if you had already successfully achieved your goal or made it through a challenging experience and start feeling, thinking and behaving like that now.
Author Bio
Jane Hogan is an international award winning Business Coach and co-owner of The Business Practice. She specialises in business growth and personal development for Business Owners and Executive Teams. Jane is passionate about helping people and businesses focus on what’s important, remove obstacles to growth and realise their potential.
Jane Hogan
The Business Practice
20 Priory Hall,
Stillorgan,
Co. Dublin
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +353 (0)1 2122707
Fax: +353 (0)1 2122595
Mobile: + 353 (0)87 6479521
Linked in profile: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jane-hogan/9/6a/453 (website currently under development)
