How to Stop Lacking Confidence in Your Job

John J. Bowman, Jr. Accountant
3 min readMay 19, 2023

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Lacking confidence in your job can be a challenging and stressful experience. It can lead to self-doubt and anxiety and even affect your career growth. You can overcome a lack of confidence with the right mindset and tools.

Identify your strengths and weaknesses

First, it’s essential to identify your strengths and weaknesses to understand better where your talents lie and where improvements are needed. You can do this by reflecting on your past successes and challenges, asking for feedback from colleagues or supervisors, or taking a personality or skills assessment.

Once you have identified your strengths, focus on building on them and using them to your advantage. For your weaknesses, consider ways to improve them through training, mentoring, or seeking out new experiences.

Set achievable goals

Setting achievable goals is another crucial step in building confidence in your job. Start by identifying what you want to achieve and the steps you must take. Break down goals into smaller, more manageable tasks, and track progress.

Celebrating achievements, no matter how small, can also help build confidence. You will feel a sense of accomplishment and progress, boosting your confidence and motivation.

Practice self-care

Taking care of yourself is essential for building confidence in your job. This means getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly. Taking breaks throughout the day and practicing stress-reducing activities such as meditation or yoga is also essential.

Taking care of yourself will make you feel more energized, focused, and confident. You will also be better equipped to handle challenges and stressful situations that may arise in your job.

Practice positive self-talk

The way you talk to yourself can impact on your confidence level. If you think negative thoughts or engage in self-criticism, try reframing your thinking. Practice positive self-talk by focusing on strengths, accomplishments, and potential. Remind yourself of your past successes and how you overcame challenges. You can build a more optimistic and confident mindset by focusing on the positive.

Seek support

Feel free to seek support from colleagues, mentors, or friends. Talking to someone about your concerns or challenges can help you gain perspective and advice. It can also help to feel more connected and supported in your job.

If you are struggling with a particular task or project, consider asking for help or guidance from someone with more experience or knowledge. This can help you learn and grow in your job and build confidence in your abilities.

Learn from mistakes

Mistakes are a natural part of growth. Instead of dwelling on mistakes, learn from them. Reflect on what went wrong and use your mistakes to improve your skills and knowledge.

It’s important to remember that making mistakes doesn’t make you a failure. It’s often through mistakes that we learn the most and grow the most.

Take risks

Taking risks can be scary, but it can also be an opportunity to build confidence in your abilities. Start by taking small risks, such as speaking up in a meeting or taking on a new project. As you build trust, you can take on more significant risks, such as pitching a new idea or taking on a leadership role. When you take risks, you show yourself and others that you have the confidence and ability to step outside your comfort zone.

Lacking confidence in your job can be challenging but manageable. By identifying your strengths and weaknesses, setting achievable goals, practicing self-care, engaging in positive self-talk, seeking support, learning from mistakes, and taking risks, you can overcome your lack of confidence and thrive in your job. Remember, building trust is a process that takes time and effort. With these tools and strategies, you can stop lacking confidence in your career and become the confident, successful professional you want.

Originally published at http://johnjbowmanjraccountant.wordpress.com on May 19, 2023.

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John J. Bowman, Jr. Accountant

John J. Bowman, Jr. Accountant is a tax law professional. Graduate of @RMU and @HarvardHBS. Rated #1 tax professional in the USA by the WSJ. Pittsburgh, PA.