Without a doubt, self-confidence is one of the most important traits that most people want to possess.
When people from all generations were asked which is the biggest issue that humans face on a daily basis, the answer was obviously “self-confidence”.
I’ll explain why this might be obvious:
Self-confidence is linked to so many other things that influence our daily lives.
Here’s a delicate process that works inside us every day, without us even realizing it:
You have a belief that you’re not attractive.
Every time you meet an attractive person, that belief will trigger an emotion.
The emotions could range from frustration to shyness, and will eventually lead to a behaviour.
That behaviour influences the relationship between you and that attractive person.
In our example, it’ll ruin your chances of attracting that person because of your awkward behaviour (which was generated by the emotion triggered by the inner belief about yourself).
I hope my example made you understand how important self-confidence is.
Now – there are more people that lack self-confidence than people who have it.
That made me wonder…could it possibly be the lack of useful education that teaches self-confidence nowadays?
It might…
But then I made a search on Google, and I was surprised to see some horrifying career advice right on the spot.
So let’s look at 5 dangerous self-confidence myths that just might ruin your career instead of boosting it.
1. Self-Confidence is a Birth Trait
“I know I can’t compete with people who are naturally confident no matter how hard I try”.
Ever came across that type of thinking?
I did, and most of the people that were having it were also in a mediocre state.
The lack of self-confidence is a result of a terribly false belief that you either have it or you don’t.
The moment you manage to banish these negative beliefs, the moment your self-confidence will start to get in shape.
You’re the only one who decides whether to be confident or not.
If you decide to, you can start setting the foundations of a new self-confident you right now.
Never believe that self-confidence is a gift or a talent.
It’s all about the mindset and the attitude that you have.
2. Building Self-Confidence Skills Will Take Years
Another common cause for people’s lack of self-confidence is the wrong belief that building and maintaining self-confidence skills will take years.
That’s a very wrong statement, and here’s why.
Self-confidence is very abstract.
It varies from person to person, and very rarely someone will feel the same way about himself just like the way you do with yourself.
So before getting discouraged by people who spread stories of such kind, you need to take a look at your own person.
By acknowledging your weaknesses and strengths, you’re going to figure out how much you have to work to achieve the desired self-confidence.
It can take hours, days, weeks, months, or years… you make it last how much you please, and the effort you put into this process is directly proportional to the results that you’ll get.
3. My Self-Confidence is Directly Proportional to How Much I Earn
Some people are so heavily linked to material assets that they automatically link their self-confidence levels to their financial success.
This attitude towards self-confidence is very risky.
The moment your materialistic world starts to show regress, you’re going to feel it in your confidence too!
Self-confidence isn’t about how much you earn, how well you dress, or how expensive your watches are.
In fact, it’s all mental.
Self-confident people aren’t putting their traits in the hands of variable things such as wealth or looks.
If you’re not earning enough, the solution is to do something about it.
Let self-confidence be a separate thing – it’ll definitely help you achieve more if you allow it to.
4. If They Don’t Acknowledge You, You’re Not Good Enough
In case your colleagues or bosses do not acknowledge your work and results, you should never get discouraged.
The pure reason for this lack of encouragement and feedback is your colleagues' lack of professionalism or your boss's lack of leadership skills.
Of course, you could also be the reason if you're doing poorly.
But, in the majority of cases, you won't get acknowledgments.
That's fine, as other individuals should never be able to touch you on an emotional level.
You need to have your own control over your feelings and beliefs.
So if you're not appraised, you can start rewarding and acknowledging yourself.
A lack of acknowledgment from other people is definitely not a reason to panic or to become less confident in your powers.
5. I’ll Build Confidence First, Take Action After
And here we have the biggest myth of all self-confidence myths.
“I’ll wait to build my confidence and then take action and follow my dreams”.
This is the most common excuse, and also a false assumption of people that are scared to take action.
If you’re thinking this way, you need to understand something:
The main reason for you not being confident and not taking action is the fear of failure.
You may not see it all the time, but it’s deep down there in your unconscious mind.
Do not delay any more days…confidence is built with small steps.
You need to be patient, consistent, and hard-working.
Conclusion
As you’ve probably figured, no one should spend one-second waiting for change to happen.
Self-confidence comes the moment you decide it comes.
It’s up to you to decide whether you want to be above average or not.
About the author: Eva Wislow is a career coach at CareersBooster resume writing service. She is focusing on helping people break down their limits and achieve life and career success. Eva finds her inspiration in writing and peace of mind through yoga. Follow her on Twitter.