Too many women are of the generation that compares their outward appearance and inward psychology with those around them. Who looks better than you, who has a nicer apartment than you, or whose relationship their parents is better than yours is always on your mind.
When it comes to business, those same insecurities will follow you through the corporate ladder. Being insecure about your abilities as a professional can prevent you from breaking the glass ceiling.
Do not be a slave to the insecurities. Here are some great career tips to help you overcome your insecurities:
1. Figure out what causes your insecurities
Most of the time women will have developed insecurities during their childhood that has been hardwired into your brain. You might have been called fat or stupid at one point (or maybe multiple times), and now that weighs on you every single day.
Try to figure out where these insecurities first began, why you react to them the way you do, and then come up with a plan to counteract the negative effects. This can be as simple as thinking positive thoughts, journaling, or attending a counseling session.
2. Quit with the comparisons
Of course, as I mentioned earlier, almost everyone is guilty of comparing themselves to someone else. At the gym, at the office, in the grocery store, or outside walking down the road… there is always someone who catches your eye and you think, “Wouldn’t it be great if I was like them or had what they do?”
Stop right there. That is what is depressing you. Just because Carol managed to type up that report in under 10 minutes and was praised does not mean you are terrible. Just because Dean sealed a deal does not mean you can’t.
Stop worrying about what everyone is doing around you. Focus on your own success. Be your own mind. Live your own life.
More: What Women Should Say to Get Promoted at Work
3. Stop acting happy all the time
Perhaps you are the person who tries too hard to be the radiant ball of the sunshine in the office. Look, you might have been told to smile all the time to make customers happy, but that is not fooling anyone. No one is happy all of the time.
If you have a problem with something, you need to discuss it with management or HR. Further, if you have ideas about how something can be changed for the better, offer your opinion. Pretending that everything is okay when you’re screaming inside is only going to mentally exhaust you.
4. Find intrinsic motivation, not extrinsic
So many people stick with jobs for the money or the promise of rewards. Instead of focusing on finances, focus on how it makes you feel. When people do things for material gain, it is natural to get uncomfortable and feel unbalanced.
That is why you should never lie to yourself. If you really do not like where you are working, then you owe it to yourself to find something better.
Remember that you were chosen to do this job for a reason. You are not meant to simply become the office cubicle wallflower. Though everyone fears getting fired or never being promoted or not living up to expectations, you are not perfect.
More: What It Is Like Working in a Foreign Company
Stop comparing yourself to the over achiever and just be the best person you can be by showing up on time, doing your best work, and following your gut instincts. Work for happiness, and if this workplace does not make you happy – then you should look for someplace that does.
