Think Like an Athlete 5 Ways to Boost Your Confidence at Work The workplace, like the playing field in sports, is filled with competition, often against yourself. It demands being at your best by meeting and exceeding goals by working hard to master all aspects of a role and showing that you are capable of taking on more.
Someone can have all the necessary skills to be successful, but it can also become your biggest obstacle when self-criticism gets in the way. Confidence becomes an issue when difficult experiences at work, such as making mistakes or missing an opportunity, cause us to question ourselves and generate negative thoughts.
To produce positive thoughts and pave the way to success, you must create a mindset based on processes that have a purpose. The mind can feel lonely and focus on negative things and we run the risk of paying attention to thoughts that can eat us up, destroy our confidence and throw us out of our rhythm.
We begin to hear a cartoon version of the devil sitting on a shoulder and whispering in our ears. So we need to develop ways to listen to that other voice within us, that angel on the opposite shoulder to silence the inner critic. I'd like to suggest a five-step process to develop a more positive mindset and increase your confidence at work.
Focus on winning in the present. Dwelling on past mistakes or worrying about what comes next can lead to self-doubt. Staying present is key and requires resiliency that builds on previous training and the skills that led to accomplishments. I compare a resilient worker to an athlete like a placekicker who shakes off a missed field goal and comes back to score the game-winner. The workplace doesn't wait for you to get over things. And instead of fearing making more mistakes, ask yourself, What's important now? To be the best you can be in the present moment, you must focus all your energy on the present and embrace it.
Breathe to relax and refocus. Refocusing always starts with your breath. It removes distractions and allows you to be yourself. Focusing on your breath reminds you that this is something you can control, and in turn, you can control your thoughts. Ultimately, you are training your subconscious mind on how to use your breath to calm yourself.
To meditate. Meditation is based on your controlled sustained breathing and becomes a practice to develop clarity and create a space of calm in the mind. Meditation brings control and harnesses much of the mind's untapped power. Align your mind body and spirit.
Visualize. To reach peak performance, you must be able to see yourself performing well. The more accurately you can see yourself in action, the more you can adjust and control that image, change its details, and guide its outcome. Visualization also involves tapping into an emotion by feeling the confidence of the moment you see yourself making it happen.
Participate in the internal dialogue. Learn to become your best motivator. You can do this through the power of positive language directed at yourself. You want to develop a language that generates determined optimism. Find a specific language that can give voice to your feelings and enhance your inner drive.
Training the mind to generate confidence, calm fear and awaken joy empowers you to be better than your negative side thought you could be.
Grant Parr is a mental sports performance coach and author of The Next One Up Mindset How To Prepare for the Unknown. He owns and runs Gameface Performance, a consulting firm that improves the mental skills of athletes and coaches. A recruiter and sales leader in the corporate world for 17 years, he works with a wide variety of athletes, including professional Olympic, collegiate and high school athletes. Him's Mental 90% podcast offers a window into a wide range of mental games from athletes and coaches and shares his insights into mental performance.
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