American philosopher and psychologist William James once said that, “Most people live in a restricted circle of potential.” Although he made this observation over a century ago, it still holds true today. When it comes to fulfilling our potential, it’s often not a lack of resources, opportunity or intelligence, but a lack of self-confidence. We often become our own worst enemy when we continually doubt ourselves and listen to the self-defeating voices in our head.

Many of us mistakenly believe that confidence is something certain lucky people are born with and the rest of us are just futilely trying to find it. But confidence is simply the outcomes of our own thoughts and actions. It’s the belief in our ability to succeed at a task. For example:

• Our belief that we can give a speech in front of an audience
• Our belief that we can exit an unhealthy relationship and find one more fulfilling
• Our belief that we can change career paths or start a business

You get the picture. Our brain tells us a lot – some of it’s true, but a lot of it isn’t. It’s those untrue, self-defeating thoughts that hold us back from taking the steps necessary for meaningful change. On the flipside, self-confidence gives us the courage to break out of our comfort zone and face fears head-on.

The Benefits of Self-Confidence

There’s no doubt about it – having confidence in ourselves feels good! However, there are many other benefits that confidence brings to our lives. Here’s a look at a few:

• More resilience: Resilience is the ability to cope with and recover from setbacks. Higher levels of self-confidence enhance your resiliency and help you bounce back from life’s challenges.
• Healthier relationships: When you have confidence in yourself, it helps you better understand and care for others. It also helps you identify relationships that aren’t healthy and gives you the strength to move on.
• Better performance: Many of us waste our time worrying that we’re not good enough. Self-confidence doesn’t mean you’re not going to make mistakes or even fail, but it will help you devote your energy to what matters instead of self-deprecating thoughts. And that translates to better performance no matter what task is in front of you.
• Willingness to try new things: Whether you want to sign up for a class, learn a new skill or tackle that half marathon, self-confidence makes you more willing to try new things and put yourself out there.

We can all relate to the ebb and flow of confidence throughout our lives. Even if you’ve spent years doubting your abilities and feeling like you can’t take the steps to break out of self-defeating beliefs, it’s never too late to change course. Working with a coach, like Leah M Joppy and Associates, can put you on the right path towards greater self-confidence. You’ll learn why you’re stuck in a pattern of negative thoughts, how you can break the cycle, tools you can use to bring lasting change and so much more.

Contact us today at 301-670-0051 or email leah@lmja.com and let’s squash those negative thoughts and enhance your life through strengthened confidence!

According to a survey by the job site Indeed, 94% of employees said that confidence is vital to complete daily tasks at work and believe it’s a major contributor to overall career growth. In addition, 98% of those surveyed said they perform better when they feel more confident. These numbers aren’t exactly surprising, but they do highlight the importance that self-confidence plays in the workplace. As we mentioned in our last article, the good news is that confidence isn’t something you’re born with, but something we can all build, practice and reinforce!

We all want to feel confident at work, but often, it feels like there are forces beyond our control. Maybe you’re new to a job or career path and are terrified of making mistakes. Perhaps you feel like you’re underqualified in a leadership role and don’t have what it takes to build a successful team. Or maybe you’ve always been really hard on yourself and constantly question whether you have what it takes to succeed. Whatever the case, these self-defeating thoughts aren’t doing you any favors and can hold you back from promotions, management roles and more. Self-confidence in the workplace has so many positives, including better communication skills, increased ability to handle feedback and conflict, greater happiness and a decrease in comparing yourself to others.

So, what does confidence in the workplace look like? Not everyone expresses self-confidence in the same way, but there are some common traits that confident people possess. Here’s a few:

• They don’t seek validation from others
• They don’t worry about things outside of their control
• They aren’t afraid to ask for help
• They’re decisive and assertive
• They recognize when they make a mistake
• Their verbal cues match their non-verbal cues (they’re genuine and sincere!)
• They appear confident through their eye contact, dress, body language, etc.

How many do you see in yourself?

Think of the times you’ve let self-doubt seep into your mind. Remember the worry, the sleepless nights, the doubts that you really deserve that promotion you’ve been working for. If you feel like your lack of self-confidence is holding you back in your career, Leah M Joppy and Associates is ready to help you squash those self-defeating patterns. We’ll work together to look at your goals and aspirations, where self-confidence plays a role, what’s holding you back and tools that you can use to make positive changes.

Call us at 301-670-0051 or email leah@lmja.com and let’s start the journey towards greater self-confidence together.