Mar 19, 2024
Don't Know What To Wear To Your New Job Interview Self Esteem and improve career

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Gogagah | 4 Ways to Build Your Self Esteem and Improve Your Career | A healthy level of self-esteem is crucial if you are going to be the best you can be – both personally and professionally. If this is something you are struggling with, read on to discover four ways you can build your self esteem and improve your career.

1. Learn to silence self-doubt.

The opposite of self-esteem is self-doubt, and while it is natural to have some of it, you don’t want it to ruin your life. For this reason, you must commit to learning how to silence the voice in your head that tells you negative statements. 

Unfortunately, if you choose to let self-doubt take over your mind, it is going to hold you back from moving forward, seizing new opportunities, and building the career of your dreams. 

Therefore, when you start to doubt yourself, you want to stop it before it gets out of hand. The best way to do this is by disrupting the thought pattern and replacing it with positive, motivating thoughts. Understandably, this is challenging for many people, which is why it is recommended that you speak with someone if you notice that the thoughts are getting too powerful or are not aligned with reality. 

In many cases, these thoughts originate from feelings of comparison. If you are always comparing yourself to other people, you will never be happy or satisfied with your talents and achievements. Keeping a daily journal is a fantastic way of working through these thoughts and dedicating time to gain clarity and focus on your personal path.

2. Keep a list of your accomplishments. 

When it comes to your career, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the thought of all the things you want to achieve and forget the accomplishments you have already had. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you keep an accomplishments list. 

This list will dramatically help your self-esteem because it will act as a physical reminder of your past achievements. When you are playing the comparison game, or are telling yourself that you haven’t done anything worthwhile yet, you can have a look at this list, think about your wins, and remember how much you have already accomplished. This will enhance your view of yourself and your capabilities. 

Moreover, an accomplishments list helps you to construct a continuous cycle of success and achievement because it will motivate you to continue working hard so that you can add more to the list. Plus, it reminds you to work smarter and not harder, because productivity should be focused on results, and not just on constantly being busy. 

Maintaining an accomplishments list doesn’t need to take a lot of time. Instead, it would be best if you simply got into the habit of creating it. For example, you may want to dedicate 15-20 minutes every Friday afternoon to reflect on the week and write down a couple of things you accomplished or are proud of. Alternatively, you could opt to keep an ongoing list that you add to whenever you finish something that makes you proud. 

3. Further your education. 

No matter how much self-esteem you believe you currently possess, there is no denying that opting to further your education is going to help increase it. After all, not only will the additional knowledge help to expand your career prospects, but it will also boost your self-esteem, both personally and professionally. 

When you set yourself a goal, such as completing a course or winning a project, completing it increases your confidence in yourself. It helps you recognize that you can put your mind to something and achieve it. In turn, this encourages you to dream bigger because you know that you can handle the challenges that will inevitably arise. This level of self-confidence is key to maintaining the focus necessary to achieve success. 

No matter what your career ambitions are, there is undoubtedly further education that is right for you. In some cases, this may translate to individual classes that can provide necessary context or aid you in developing specific skills. Alternatively, it may mean that you would be pursuing a college degree or a post-graduate programme. You may be interested in Career Transition programmes or our Kompass Kickstarter series that set you up with the skills necessary to change careers. 

Whatever the case, learning new things is a surefire way of increasing your self-esteem and helping you reach your career goals. Keep in mind that every positive experience you have reinforces your understanding of your abilities and provides you with necessary internal satisfaction – something that is sure to keep you focused and motivated.

4. Do things you enjoy. 

In addition to doing things that help boost your career, you also want to ensure that you are filling your days, weeks, and months with activities you genuinely enjoy. For starters, make a list of things you like to do, and then find ways to incorporate some of these into your daily life. 

Similarly, it would help if you surrounded yourself with people you cherish and who build you up rather than shoot you down. Life is too short to spend time with people who don’t treat you well. So, help your self-esteem, and remove them from your life. 

One of the best things you can do to improve your self-esteem is to exercise regularly. There is plenty of research that shows the correlation between exercise and higher self-esteem. This is because it helps you to feel more comfortable in your body and ensures you feel a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, regular exercise can significantly improve your mental health by reducing depression, anxiety, and stress. Instead of these negative emotions, exercise boosts your cognitive functions, which increases your self-esteem. 

Thus, it is highly recommended that you seek an exercise practice that works for you. To reap the benefits, aim to exercise for 200 to 300 minutes per week through a combination of cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises (such as yoga). 

What steps are you taking to build your self-esteem this year? Do you have any additional advice? What do you think is the hardest part of getting to a place of self-acceptance? Let us know your thoughts and plans in the comments below.

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AUTHOR BIO

Leila Rezaiguia is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Kompass Consultancy, an innovative global talent management consultancy headquartered in Dubai and with offices in Abu Dhabi and Sydney, that specialises in enabling individuals, organisations and educational institutions to achieve performance excellence and career success. Leila is a multi-lingual (English, Arabic and French) PCC Coach, Mentor Coach, Trainer, Facilitator and Business Mentor who is passionate about coaching, women in leadership, talent management and organisational development.