Category: Confidence interesting articles

Self-esteem impacts almost every aspect of your life, including your confidence and motivation. Yet, people haven’t always worried about their self-esteem. The idea that your happiness and performance are linked to your self-esteem is a relatively recent concept, but it’s an important one to understand.

When did we become so obsessed with self-esteem? According to an in-depth article from Belinda Drummond on the work of Glynn Harrison, the modern self-esteem movement started in the 1960s. Harrison explains in his book The Big Ego Trip that the ’60s led to a shift from prioritising the needs of others to focusing on your own happiness.

This period also marked the rise of psychology as a scientific discipline. Psychologists could use self-esteem to compare and analyse the results of their research. Self-esteem gave psychology a way to achieve greater credibility. Society embraced the idea of helping oneself before trying to help others. The concept of putting others first became less desirable.

Self-esteem was the focus of the work for many leading psychologists of the 1970s. As the decades wore on, self-esteem and psychology became part of popular culture. However, Harrison also points out that the concept of self-esteem is not evidence-based. It’s also very fluid. Your self-esteem may go up or down depending on how your day goes, making self-worth a more vital part of your wellbeing.

Self-worth allows you to accept that you’re a valuable human being, providing a stable base for building more self-esteem. Based on Harrison’s research, modern psychology is closely connected to the exploration of self-esteem. Both are now a much more integral part of how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. Read the original article here.

So, why does self-esteem matter? Your self-esteem influences your happiness, wellbeing, and confidence. As a confidence coach, I’ve also seen how a lack of self-esteem tends to sink motivation. If you don’t believe in yourself, you’re less likely to maintain your motivation during a challenging task. You may feel that you don’t deserve success or that success is beyond your reach.

Low self-esteem often stems from fear. You may fear criticism, failure, rejection, or embarrassment. Neuro-linguistic programming gives you the tools to manage your fear by reframing your inner dialogue. You can learn how to use self-compassion to give yourself stable self-worth, instead of focusing on your self-esteem.

The self-esteem movement came to life in the 1960s and remains an important part of modern psychology. Increasing your self-esteem could unlock your full potential. If you currently lack self-esteem or feel like an imposter in the workplace, it’s time to explore the right solution. Learn how to beat imposter syndrome with my one-to-one coaching or online courses at https://thinklearnsucceed.com.au.

Everyone has moments where they feel inadequate. Yet, most people try to hide those feelings under a mask of false confidence. This is called the imposter syndrome and it affects over 70% of the population. A recent article on the topic helps shed light on the causes of imposter syndrome and how to conquer it.

So, what is the key to beating imposter syndrome? First, you need to understand where it comes from. The term imposter syndrome was coined by clinical psychologists Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes in 1978. Dr. Valerie Young expanded upon their research by identifying five types of impostors: the soloist, the perfectionist, the natural genius, the superman/woman, and the expert.

The perfectionist feels as if giving 99% isn’t enough. According to Dr. Young, perfectionists need to understand that perfectionism inhibits success and not everything deserves 100%. The expert feels that they always need to acquire more knowledge. Yet, there is no end to knowledge.

The natural genius assumes that confidence and intelligence are natural traits that you’re born with. They need to realise that nothing is fixed. The soloist only feels competent when they complete tasks without help. However, smart people seek help from those who know more. The superman/woman feels that they must excel at everything instead of slowing down.

All five types of impostors benefit from reframing, which is a common practice in neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). The best way to stop feeling like an impostor is to reframe your thoughts. The next time that you feel inadequate, stop, and imagine how someone with more confidence may feel in that same moment. You can distance yourself from your feelings and reframe them from someone else’s perspective.

Dr. Young offers an in-depth look at the reasons for feelings of inadequacy in the workplace. Read the original article here.

Imposter syndrome directly impacts your performance in the workplace. Instead of faking it until you make it, try admitting that you don’t have all the answers. You can say “no” and “I don’t know” occasionally. No one expects you to know everything.

I find that this is an especially important lesson for high achievers, leaders, and other professionals. Letting others know that you don’t know everything makes you more relatable. It can also go a long way toward boosting the confidence of subordinates.

According to Dr. Young, it’s also important to recognise that you can’t eliminate all feelings of inadequacy. Neuro-linguistic programming techniques provide a way to reframe your thinking. With practice, you can learn to normalise your feelings and stop holding yourself to unrealistic standards.

For those who want to act now, I recommend practicing saying “I don’t know.” Feel free to admit when you don’t have a solution. If you want additional tips on how to beat imposter syndrome, I’m ready to help. Take a moment to learn more about my one-to-one coaching and online courses at https://thinklearnsucceed.com.au.

Most people occasionally experience a lack of motivation. It’s natural to lose interest in a task or project, but what drives this loss of motivation? According to leading psychologists, rewards largely influence your desire to accomplish things. Receiving an internal or external reward helps keep people motivated.

So, what type of reward works best for motivation? The answer depends on the type of motivation. In psychology, motivation is either intrinsic or extrinsic. A recent article on verywellmind.com perfectly explains how rewards impact both types of motivation.

First, it’s important to understand the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is internally rewarding. It comes from behaviour that is mostly driven by your self-satisfaction instead of an external reward.

Activities that you engage in for fun are examples of intrinsic motivation. Hobbies are commonly intrinsically motivated. The self-satisfaction that you get from the activity is rewarding enough. Research suggests that adding external rewards on top of internal rewards decreases motivation. Psychologists call this the “over-justification effect”. Your intrinsic enjoyment of a task is sufficient justification for completing it. Adding an external reward creates the perception that the task is over-justified.

Extrinsic motivation comes from a desire to gain external rewards or avoid repercussions. You show up to work to earn money, which is an external reward. If you take away your pay, you’ll likely lack the motivation to go to the office.

However, your performance is also influenced by a variety of intrinsic factors. You likely gain a sense of satisfaction when others recognise your hard work. You may also find completing a challenging work task intrinsically rewarding. If you want more information on how motivation works, read the original article here.

Motivation and self-confidence are closely linked. If you tend to suffer from imposter syndrome, your motivation could be to blame. Self-motivation gives you the drive to set and complete goals. Without this motivation, you may gradually lose confidence in your ability to get things done. Listing the ways that you find your work intrinsically rewarding can boost your motivation in the workplace.

A lack of confidence can also significantly lower your motivation. Without confidence, it’s more of a challenge to stay motivated. Luckily, it’s possible to increase both your motivation and confidence. Choosing the right reward system can boost your motivation to complete tasks. The more you accomplish the more your confidence in your abilities grows.

Building true confidence requires motivation. Based on the article discussed, a reward system is a powerful tool for becoming more motivated. Yet, motivation is only part of the equation for gaining confidence. Neuro-linguistic programming offers a way to reframe your thought patterns, including the way that you think about motivation. Learn how to beat imposter syndrome with my one-to-one coaching and online courses at https://thinklearnsucceed.com.au.

Society is obsessed with self-esteem, but what about your self-worth? Your self-worth is vital to your overall happiness, confidence, and mental health. Everyone has self-worth, even if they don’t see it. Psychotherapist Virginia Satir explains that your thoughts and interactions with others are largely influenced by your self-worth. She also explains how to boost your self-worth with a simple visualisation activity.

So, how do you increase your self-worth? A great place to start is with a simple self-esteem-building activity. A recent article on cpydcoalition.org offers the perfect example. It’s an activity featured in Virginia Satir’s article Self-Worth: The Pot Nobody Watches. In this article, she used the metaphor of a pot to represent a person’s self-work. The following activity is based on this idea. As you complete it, you’ll create three separate pots that you fill with negative and positive messages.

First, you need to create a pot of ‘pot drainers. The pot drainers include negative messages. Fill this pot with the self-critical messages that make you feel bad about yourself. This typically includes messages from the inner critic during moments of self-doubt.

The second pot includes ‘pot cleansers’. The pot cleansers are positive messages and thoughts. Think of the things that you like about yourself. Pot cleansers help cleanse the negative thoughts from the previous pot. You can use the positive messages to reframe the negative messages. Balancing these two pots helps transform your outlook on life.

The third pot includes ‘pot fillers.’ The pot fillers are positive messages sent to you from others and yourself. Filling this third pot with compliments and recognition of your skills, abilities, and positive traits.

When your first two pots are balanced and your third pot is full, you’re likely to experience more positivity in your life. You’ll be able to see more opportunities around you instead of feeling stuck in place. For more details, read the original article here.

If you’re a high achiever looking to build greater confidence and broaden your horizons, I highly recommend using Satir’s visualisation activity. Your confidence is linked to your sense of self-worth. If you don’t believe in your skills and abilities, it’s difficult to build confidence. The visualisation activity makes it easier to analyse your self-worth. Combating your negative messages with positive ones reshapes your perception of yourself.

Visualisation activities also give you the tools for boosting confidence in critical situations. You can use your ‘pot cleanser’ pot to replace negative feelings as they occur. You also alter your thought patterns related to how you think others perceive you. Filling your ‘pot fillers’ with positive messages from others provides anchors for maintaining confidence.

One of the main points of Virginia Satir’s visualisation activity is the importance of self-worth. It’s tied to your self-confidence. For best results, I recommend repeating the activity frequently. If you want to explore additional techniques to beat imposter syndrome, I can help. Learn more about my one-to-one coaching and online courses at https://thinklearnsucceed.com.au.