What do you do if you're struggling with self-doubt and need to build assertiveness in your career?

Engage in self-affirmation exercises, join a mentorship program to gain insights and support, and challenge yourself with new tasks to foster self-trust and assertiveness.

I just watched a YouTube of a Grammy winning artist sharing the mistakes he made in composing his award winning pieces. Trusting yourself and your voice is a life long exercise. For me, it is important to know that everyone has this challenge. Self-doubt is the first step to finding confidence within and the boldness necessary to step forward in new ways. It is where all creative new endeavors begin and the juice of life flows.

One who knows themselves, nobody can deceive him or bother him with low or high confidence. Self awareness is a great start to self confidence.

If you're battling self-doubt and want to develop assertiveness in your career, start by appreciating your talents and accomplishments. Challenge negative self-talk by reframing thoughts and focusing on prior accomplishments. Set specific, attainable goals, and progressively push yourself outside your comfort zone to gain confidence. Seek chances for skill and surround yourself with sympathetic mentors and friends who can provide encouragement and guidance—practice communication methods, such as expressing demands clearly and directly while actively listening to others. Accept failure as a learning opportunity and applaud improvement. Consistent effort and self-belief will eventually lead to increased assertiveness and career success.

I like to review 5 major accomplishments in my earlier life in which I achieved and or successfully fulfilled. I review how I went about it and then celebrate the feelings of accomplishment.

Asserting boundaries shows that you value your time and contributions. It sets a precedent for how you expect to be treated professionally, which can lead to opportunities for growth and advancement as others recognize and respect your boundaries. Boundary-setting can lead to more self-confidence in the workplace because it is a sign that you have clearly defined principles and stand on your word.

Nein zu zusätzlichen Aufgaben zu sagen heißt nicht Arbeitsverweigerung. Diesen Unterschied spreche ich häufig im Seminar an. Den Kolleginnen und Kollegen zu sagen das man im Moment nicht kann und auch nicht unterbrochen werden möchte hat nichts mit Arbeitsverweigerung oder unkooperativem Verhalten zu tun. Es geht darum den Fokus bei der Aufgabe zu halten man der man gerade sitzt. Den nur wenn ich diese konzentriert und damit fehlerfrei und effizient erledige habe ich danach die Zeit und Ressourcen mich um die Anliegen der Anderen zu kümmern. Den ihnen ist es ja auch wichtig, das ihre Aufgaben von mir gut und zur Zufriedenheit erledigt werden.

Assertiveness is a skill that can be honed with practice. It's crucial to note that assertiveness isn't about being aggressive or domineering; it's about expressing oneself effectively and standing up for one's point of view, while also respecting others. Body language and clear communication play a significant role in this. In the digital age where a lot of communication happens virtually, mastering assertiveness in written communication is equally important.

What you need to do is follow two exact steps. First, ELIMINATE your STATE of self-doubt, which is usually a pattern. Then, BUILD a STATE of CONFIDENCE, enabling you to enter that state whenever you need.

We are always affirming something! Noticing the flavor of your thoughts and shifting the track from negative to positive pays large dividends in combating self-doubt. A quick way to divert your mind from self-doubt to new possibililities is to turn the self-doubt around with postiive what if questions, and then follow the questions up with positive affirmations. Example: What if no-one is interested in my new program? Turn-around: What if people are enthusiastically interested in my new program? What if it's a smashing success? What if I learn how to make it even better by starting now? After your mind shifts to focusing on possibilites, you're ready for some positive affirmations.

I am the Queen of affirmations. I keep them handy in my notes on my phone and have even posted them around my home for a reminder when I am performing mundane tasks throughout the day. Whenever I hear a new affirmation, I quickly add it to my list so that I don’t forget. I also share them weekly with my network on LinkedIn. Many of us are on a journey for professional development, but I say personal development comes first and starts with a good set of affirmations.

Positive Affirmationen haben einen großen Einfluss auf unsere Einstellung und vielleicht auftauchende Selbstzweifel. Wenn wir Zweifeln oder denken etwas ist nicht gut genug sind das alles Gedanken mit denen wir uns bewusst beschäftigen. Wie jeder anderer Gedanke mit dem wir uns länger beschäftigen legen wir auch diese im Gedächtnis ab. So bilden sich dort langsam Muster die uns dann irgendwann bestätigen das unsere Zweifel berechtigt sind. Denn das Gehirn weiß nach der Zeit nicht mehr ob unser Zweifel auf einem tatsächlichen Ereignis beruht oder nur in unserer Vorstellung existierte. Genauso funktioniert es auch wenn wir über Situationen oder Aufgaben positiv und optimistisch denken. Auch das bildet Muster auf die wir zurückgreifen.

Love positive affirmations for women of color and people of color especially!! We face so much external and internal negative (self-)talk––exacerbated by our natural hard-wired negativity bias––phew, it's a lot! For those who are interested, I have a super short Affirmations for WOC video you can use daily to ground and affirm yourself (DM me for the link if you're interested!)

Konstruktives Feedback einzuholen ist ein Schlüssel zur Überwindung von Selbstzweifeln. Es ermöglicht Einblicke in die Fremdwahrnehmung Ihrer Arbeit, identifiziert Verbesserungspotenziale und ist eine Chance für Wachstum, nicht eine Bewertung Ihres Werts. Offenheit gegenüber Rückmeldungen schärft Ihre Fähigkeiten und stärkt das Vertrauen in diese. Integrieren Sie das Feedback in eine für Sie passende Form, experimentieren Sie und passen Sie es an, bis es sich stimmig anfühlt. Dieser Prozess ist nicht nur eine Möglichkeit zur fachlichen Verbesserung, sondern fördert auch Ihr Selbstvertrauen und Ihren persönlichen Fortschritt.

Denk nicht für die Anderen. Wir sind uns manchmal sicher was andere Personen über uns oder eine Sache denken. Diese Annahme beruht aber zumeist nur auf unserer Vorstellung. Wir denken das wir wüssten was andere denken. Darum nicht denken was andere denken sondern einfach mal fragen. - Wie hat dir meine Präsentation gefallen? - Was halten Sie von diesem Vorschlag? oder auch - Was halten Sie von mir bzw. meiner Arbeitsleistung? Es wird uns überraschen welche Antworten da kommen. Denn das kritische Bild zu einer Situation oder auch zu uns selbst existiert meist nur in unseren Gedanken. Und selbst wenn jetzt Kritik oder Zweifel aus dem Kollegenkreis vorgetragen wird, weiß ich was sie meinten und nicht was ich dachte.

I strongly recommend feedback from several reliable sources. Ask a trusted professional mentor and a colleague what they might see in your performance and if your concerns are visible to others. I recommend being transparent with a therapist or a trusted confidant as well, as trusted friendships support us during our most challenging times. Lastly, remember to be kind to yourself always.

Feedback is a goldmine of self-improvement opportunities. Don't shy away from constructive criticism from trusted mentors or colleagues. Analyze the input, identify areas for growth, and craft a plan to address them. Remember, seeking feedback demonstrates your willingness to learn and propels you further on your career path.

I believe continuous learning is a powerful tool for building assertiveness and confidence. It's important to note that your self-improvement should be tailored to your unique needs and career goals. For instance, if you're in a leadership role, you might focus on courses that enhance your decision-making or team management skills. Additionally, learning isn't just about acquiring new knowledge, it's also about applying it. So, ensure you put into practice what you learn and reflect on the outcomes to grow.

The ever-evolving workplace demands constant skill development. Embrace continuous learning by attending workshops, taking online courses, or reading industry publications. This expands your knowledge base and keeps you relevant and in demand. Remember, lifelong learning is your ultimate weapon against career stagnation.

There’s an odd paradox that occurs within many mindsets. The better someone is at something the higher their expectations of themselves become & the less recognition they show themselves for their capabilities & continuing progress. Even worse, this stress often steals grace from their perspective as they judge themselves harsher than most any other. Ironically, the other extreme is the opposite likelihood, unfortunately. Others grow complacent in their success, losing sight of the fact their ceiling becomes the competition’s floor. If they rest on their laurels they lose their traction & slip back in capability. These are the challenges that need to be balanced when facing self-doubt and insecurities in your career. Stay humble & hungry.

Remind yourself of all you've achieved. Our brains will cling to the setbacks we've experienced for year while quickly forgetting al that we've achieved. I always challenge my clients to review the last 10 years of their lives and make a list of everything they accomplished in both their personal and professional lives. This can include degrees, certifications, good performance reviews, awards, community recognition, personal growth milestones like a challenge that they overcame, health breakthroughs, and relationship breakthroughs. When they take the time to do this, most people are surprised to see all that they accomplished.