Science shows that developing a strong self-image can advance your career and soar to great heights of success… (+). Here’s how:
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The value we place on ourselves is directly related to our job performance and career advancement. A clear self-image and strong self-esteem increase engagement at work, enhance productivity and performance, and improve relationships with colleagues. If you’re an employee who values yourself, you’re likely to have a better self-image and be a better leader than others because you’re more likely to trust your own judgment. You’re more likely to make sound decisions when it comes to things like having project autonomy, managing your team, hiring and promoting people, and communicating with colleagues overall.
But what to do if you feel deficient in some way? A vague self-image and low self-worth can lead to a cycle of career disappointments, which in turn lowers your self-image. One study found that 92% of people who said they were very satisfied with their jobs had a more positive attitude toward themselves, compared to only 92% of people with low job satisfaction. It was 53%.
8 actions to strengthen your self-image and career
If you need to strengthen your self-image, here are some steps you can take regularly to sharpen your self-image and improve your career.
Define your career goals. List your strengths, assign value to your work skills, and make a plan to achieve your goals. Make sure your skills and goals are aligned and set boundaries so you can stay on the path to success. Learn to say no when you’re already overloaded, practice thorough self-care to avoid burnout, and avoid distractions that derail you from your career destination. Remember your past victories. The human mind has an automatic negative bias built into it, but looking back at past accomplishments can provide a more realistic balance. Research shows that when faced with a difficult work situation, remembering a time when you overcame a similar challenge can boost your confidence and self-image, helping you overcome obstacles in your career. Point out lessons learned and highlight how you’ve become stronger through hard hitting. Practice positive self-talk. It may sound strange to talk to yourself in a positive way, but it’s not. Established science shows that first-name self-talk (a way of speaking positively to others by referring to oneself by name rather than “I”) is a self-regulatory mechanism that creates psychological distance from negative thoughts. It shows that. When you do this, negative voices are no longer the only stories you tell yourself. When you interact with your inner critic in this way, you realize your worth and begin to have more self-worth. Cultivate a broad perspective. You always have a choice in how you view your career trajectory. Look at the big picture. By doing so, you can take advantage of the many positive aspects of your work day. Think of a camera. You can replace zoom lenses that focus on negative work situations with wide-angle lenses that help you see greater possibilities. Get in the habit of looking for the positives in negative work situations. Don’t let your disappointment be misplaced. Instead of leaving positive feedback alone, emphasize it. Focus on solutions, not problems. Accurately identify opportunities in your work challenges. Don’t let one bad work situation affect your prospects. Give your “height” a high five. If you always think about your weaknesses, you won’t be able to see your strengths and talents. To compensate for this imbalance, leverage yourself by learning to high-five your “strengths” alongside your weaknesses. There is a reason why Webster’s words include the word “defect” but not the word “high”. There’s no such word. Because we are regularly hijacked by critical voices, we develop a habit of ignoring our positive traits and smearing ourselves with negativity, creating a false view of our worth. It’s important to have a critical eye, be open to constructive feedback, keep your head down, and recognize your strengths and limitations. Throw humility out the window and make it a habit to take credit for as many of your accomplishments as possible. What you’re good at, what skills and talents you have, what you’ve accomplished that are always overshadowed by negative voices. Cultivate self-compassion. Self-compassion is like a best friend that pushes you off a cliff, cheers you up when you’re discouraged, and brings you closer to your goals. And order the proverbial pizza when you need it. Reprimands, affirmations, and an arm around your shoulders are good medicine for coexisting with the oppression of your inner critic. I don’t mean someone else’s arm. I mean your own capital, your own support arm. Calming yourself through the disappointment instead of attacking yourself will help you feel better and develop confidence and courage to face challenges at work. Please open your feedback. There is no front without the back, and there is no top without the down. And none of us are perfect. So ask for feedback from colleagues whose opinions you value. After a performance review from your manager or supervisor, don’t get defensive, take constructive feedback and turn it to your advantage. Asking yourself how constructive feedback can improve your performance is itself a building block of self-worth that will help you reach your career destination. Curb your perfectionism. Unrestricted perfection injects its rigidity into the bloodstream, inhibiting the spontaneous and flexible flow of ideas. Unchecked, you start setting unrealistic goals, trying too hard, and focusing too much on your mistakes. You won’t be able to produce your best work. If you are a perfectionist, you may find yourself demanding perfection even if others don’t. And it can hinder you (and your career). Additionally, perfectionism can make you so obsessive that you can’t meet your standards, not even yourself. Setting the bar too high for your co-workers and subordinates will cause problems in your relationships. See your abilities from a more realistic perspective and set reasonable goals.
last point
It may seem counterintuitive, but the way to develop a strong self-image is to step outside your comfort zone. Instead of running away from unknown or unpredictable situations, break out of your ruts, rules, and routines and dive into unknown and unexpected situations. Once you turn your head and start accepting failure as a necessary stepping stone to a strong self-image, you become willing to experience the “growing pains” necessary to get there.
Author Neil Gaiman said: Break the rules. With you here, the world becomes more interesting. ” Think of failure as a personal trainer that builds your confidence to face your next career challenge. To achieve success in your career, allow yourself to make mistakes. How far can you reach in your career? What unpredictable bridge can you jump off to grow wings? What limbs can you stretch out to get a nut?
