Your Brilliant Career
Module 2: Get some attitude!

Self Belief

How much self belief do you currently have?

Self belief is when you hold yourself in the highest regard and when you back yourself 100%. Self belief isn’t knowing you’re right all the time – that’s arrogance. Self belief and self confidence are about really liking, respecting and trusting yourself. It’s about believing that you are important at work, irrespective of your current position. That’s because you totally believe you have the potential to reach your goals.

For example, it’s about not worrying what other people think about you.

How many times in a meeting have you wanted to ask something but didn’t because you thought it many be a silly question?
Lack of confidence does that to you.

When you are asked to do something new at work do you think “I can’t do this – what if I mess it up?”.
Thinking negatively like that is due to a lack of belief and confidence in your own abilities.

One of my previous managers used to say to me “I know my view is valuable”. He would always give his opinion and challenge other people because he had this belief that what he had to offer was always worth other people listening to. He had total belief in himself and his ability.

On the other hand I used to ask too many questions and seek reassurance before I did anything at work. I wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do and wouldn’t be challenged by anybody. This was lack of belief in myself and my ability – a lack of confidence. When I addressed this and eliminated it with my coach it made a significant difference to the way I was perceived at work.

I now have a belief that I’m an asset at work and will be missed if I am not there – this isn’t arrogance it’s just belief that I am good and will be successful.

Being positive

A strong self belief is largely about being positive.

It’s so easy to think of the negative consequences of doing something that it scares you and renders you motionless. A positive mind is an energised mind. Always looking on the positive side and being fearless is so important and you need to practice and practice it until it is just habit.

Think about people who make millions, lose millions, then make it again  – they do it because they are positive and every setback is just met with a “ well I’ll just try again”. They are tough and that’s what you’re going to be. Tough people get to the top –fast.

Being positive means you don’t fear failure.  You accept failure for what it is and accept that you will make mistakes but you will learn from them and so be a better person for it. When you accept failure you will try new things and push yourself outside of your comfort zone. When you do this and achieve something then it really does get noticed because it was something you were not expected to do. The results are magnified.

Fear of failure was the root of my lack of self belief until I sorted it out. In a bizarre way I positively embrace failure, not big failure, but anything that makes me stop, think and make  a little change to make me more effective.

Get Noticed

You get noticed when you have self belief.

Think about a really confident person at work, someone who has 100% self belief. Do they stand out? When they are around do people notice them? How do they walk and talk? Why do they have so much self-belief? How do you compare to that person? Have you noticed they ask a lot of questions. That’s because they are not scared – they are tough and are happy to admit they don’t understand but want to learn.

You must want to get noticed. You must want to get involved in everything. I used to be scared of going to big meetings and it used to intimidate me. Now I just want the profile and want  to be around the senior people to get the exposure and prove my worth to them.

Limiting Beliefs

To get to a great level of self-belief you need to understand what’s holding you back now.

When you understand what  is holding you back and what the cost of that belief has been in the past you can then take action and do something about it. Visualising the benefit of eliminating the negative belief can be very powerful. For example if you are being held back because you are too quiet in meetings then look at the person who, at your level in the organisation, excels at this. Then think about the meetings where you were not vocal and the impact that had on you and your career.

What are your limiting beliefs about yourself both in and out of work that mean you don’t truly believe in yourself? Take a moment and think about what makes you proud about yourself and what frustrates you about you and your character.  What have you done about the things that frustrate you? Have you taken action to get rid of them?.

When the list of things that make you proud about yourself is two to three times as big as the list of things that frustrate you then you will start to see a new more confident you.

Beware of comparisons

You can totally undermine your confidence and self belief by comparing yourself negatively to other people.

Thinking other people are better than you and then beating yourself up over it will just drive your confidence away.  Also worrying what other people think about you can be energy sapping and obstructive. All you can do is focus on yourself whilst appreciating there are other people around you. But to worry about what everybody may think each time you do something will slow you down.

How many times have you compared yourself to less fortunate people than yourself. Very few times probably. Generally we compare ourselves to people who have more status, more money, a bigger house, who are younger but more successful than us and then instead of aspiring to be like that we beat ourselves up about being inferior.

Make a pact to stop it now. Never compare yourself to anybody. Your comparison should be how you are doing against your goal. By all means identify role models and seek out the positive traits that you like. That’s positive and will enhance your attitude.

Expect success

Do you expect success?

If you are in control of your career and believe in yourself then you should expect the best. If you can visualise your goals then you are on the first path to building expectation in yourself. By being positive and recognising that you are a valuable asset and that you have the potential to get to where you want to get to, you are 50% there.

When you have the belief that success will come then you focus your energy and time in planning and taking the action and producing the results that will deliver the expectation. If you haven’t developed this then you spend more of your time worrying about whether you will get promoted, earn a higher salary or maybe be made redundant. It becomes a negative cycle you must break out of.

Be fearless

Don’t be scared of your career.

In today’s world and economy where redundancies are increasing, companies are relocating overseas and people are being asked to do more, travel more and so disrupt their family life or fear losing their job there is a pressure just to hold on to your job and be grateful for it. Don’t be a slave to your career as this fear  is a sure fire way to be shackled to your job.

You must manage your career. Be in control of it instead of it letting you control you. Don’t be scared of anything – yes the world moves on and at the moment the economy is down but you have a career goal to focus on that that’s what you should be thinking about. If you find yourself thinking “What if this happened, What if that happened” then you will fall into mediocrity and be paralysed by fear.

Drive your career and keep pushing it. If things happen just accept that you will deal with them when they materialise and anyway, they will be minor obstacles in your path to your goal. Have a fearless mind and be solution focussed.

Being in control

Are you in control of your career?

When you have the right attitude you will begin to be in total control.

Control is about you driving your career forward  as opposed to your work just taking over your life. You will see work and your career as more than just a job. It will be a tool with which you make a real difference. When you get to this state it is very powerful and rewarding. You will begin to prioritise effectively, you will make decisions more effectively and you will be able to take more work on without overloading yourself. You will become efficient and value adding.

When this happens the amazing career begins. People will begin to notice you. Your work will be noticed. You will be doing more but not working longer hours.  This leads to reward and recognition.

High Achievement

John Noe, a noted author on people management, identified 10 questions that if answered from the heart can transform you into a high achiever. He also gave a warning – “High achievement is hazardous to your complacency”. It means you have to challenge you mindset and comfort zone and be ready for adventure.

The 10 questions:

1. Do you really want to become a high achiever?
Do you have the self discipline, the desire and willingness to invest some time and effort in yourself ( I would say yes given that you have decided to do this course)

2. Do you have a strong inner urge to reach out?
High achievers reach out to new situations and people without fear.

3. What matters most to you?
High achievers are not just interested in material items and status. They want to be remembered for what they have achieved also.

4. What are you willing to invest?
High achievers are willing to invest whatever it takes to reach their goal.

5. What are you willing to endure?
Noe says – “ When the going gets tough…. The achiever shifts gear and keeps going”

6. What are you willing to give up?
To achieve anything in life requires sacrifice – do you understand what you need to sacrifice or adjust to hit your goals?

7. How much responsibility can you handle?
While others complain when unexpected responsibility is thrust upon them a high achiever will embrace it and do their best. High achievement and responsibility go hand in hand.

8. Are you willing to start from where you are?
“You can always get to where you want to providing you are willing to start from where you are”
High achievers accept their current circumstances and then just look forward.

9. Are you willing to think for yourself?
Hard work is valuable but not without thought and planning.

10. Are you willing to settle for nothing less than your full potential?
Achievers are never complacent. They achieve, enjoy their achievement but then move forward again. They want to realise their potential by constantly challenging themselves.

Actions of the Week

1. Frustrations and Fulfillments

Make  a list of all the things that frustrate you about you and your career. Next to each one write down what impact it has had on your career to date and what, if anything you have done about it.

Make another list of all the things that make you proud about you and your career. How have they made a difference to your career?

For the next week choose one frustration and decide to do something about it to get it off the list. Take some action.

2. Positive Comparisons

Look around at work and find somebody that really impresses you. For the next week notice everything about them. Jot it down everyday – what is their attitude?

3. A positive attitude

The new attitude you have has to be a positive one. How positive are you?

Try this for the next 2 days. Take a clean sheet of paper and every time you think negatively write it down. Note how many times you were negative and why. How did it make you feel?

For the following two days you have to eliminate the number of negative thoughts by 100%!! Yes, none at all.

Try it and then try it again and again……until it becomes habit.