Boosting Your Self-Esteem Will Give You a Fresh Outlook
When you’re down on yourself and thinking negatively, it can permeate into your current career, or you might not be landing the job that you want if you’re looking for one.
Shift your perspective and change how you feel about your job situation and outlook.
Take Brenda for example, she was feeling drained and defeated by recent comments about her “fun factor” at work. She had been told by a fellow employee to “lighten up” at work and not take everything so seriously. This put her into a tailspin of depression and self doubt when she shared it with her family and they agreed that she needed to lighten up. Brenda was drained and felt unappreciated in her life and work. In her mind, she felt that everything she did was for the future of her family and work and it was serious business. She was left feeling conflicted and full of self-doubt at work and home which was affecting her performance.
She came to me looking for ways to change her “fun factor”.
After working together and defining what she considered fun, it was clear that having order and structures in place where important to her in order to have space in her mind for enjoyment. Once she felt things had a purpose and place, she was able to relax, lighten up and actually have fun.
We looked at the positive qualities of a person that had a personality like hers. We were able to come up with terms like: responsible, leadership, organization and goal oriented. We role-played situations in her work where her strengths were demonstrated and how others benefited from them.
She found that her personality contributed to the ability for others to take a lighter role and enjoy their work because of her traits and work habits. She felt fulfilled seeing the flow and dynamics of others enjoying their jobs that she organized. This was her enjoyment, which made her happier and content.
In the end, she didn’t change a thing, but rather embraced her own characteristics seeing how her characteristics contributed to others in a positive way.
She became happier and it showed in all areas of her life!
If you were to describe yourself, you might say some negative characteristics, like, “I’m no fun.” You might say that because you have heard it from others or perhaps because you don’t find yourself smiling and laughing a lot.
How could you shift this thought into one that empowers you to have a new view of where you stand with your career or job search?
The answer is to flip the negative to a positive.
- I Am No Fun.
This inward statement becomes “I am serious and responsible” when you focus on the positive. Doing so can give you insights into what kind of work you enjoy and more confidence that you are just the kind of employee employers want.
A serious and responsible worker is someone who completes their tasks, is helpful to customers, and who takes the initiative to solve a problem when they see it without being asked to.
If you’re a serious and responsible person, you also probably prefer a certain type of work culture, which is important to know if you’re going to job interviews. Ask about the culture of the company, and pay attention to clues from other employees and the building’s environment when you are there to interview. Do you think you’d enjoy working there?
- I’m too Opinionated.
If you’ve been told that you’re too opinionated, and you believe it, it’s time to look at the situation differently. While there is definitely a time and place to share your opinion and a nice way to do it, you can say, instead, “I’m a leader, and I’m courageous and able to take charge.”
When no one else will say what needs to be said for the organization to move forward, you are the one spearheading the efforts to get the organization going in the right direction. If you have ideas about how things should be done, you’ve got the guts to lead a group and help ensure that those ideas are implemented.
A good leader always listens to those around them and takes their thoughts and advice into consideration, but, by sharing your own ideas in a constructive way, you’re helping the company take steps toward improvement.
- I’m Not a Good Decision Maker.
Feeling like you’re not great at finding solutions to problems can be reframed as “I’m a person who takes all views into consideration.” You are someone who does not blindly make decisions without considering the risks involved.
You seek out the input of all stakeholders, which is a truly team-oriented action. When you have all the information you think is necessary, then you can make a decision for your organization or for the next step in your job search.
It can be difficult to make decisions, but, by taking active steps to research the situation, you’ll be equipped to make the right choice when it’s time.
Viewing negative statements about yourself from a different perspective can help you improve your self-esteem and help you feel great about the job you have or the job search process.
When you have a positive perspective about yourself everyone benefits.
Raz Coaching specializes in helping people with executive function challenges associated with ADHD, PTSD, Stress, TBI’s and ASD find careers they will love and land them. Read more at www.razcoaching.com/about Or sign up for the weekly blog and learn about my new book Happiness+Passion+Purpose.
