 Career
Confidence - Using Your Mind to Focus & Motivate
Yourself
By Jan Mitchell of Expanding MindsDo you compare
yourself with others and find yourself lacking? Are self- sabotaging
criticisms and negative mind chatter affecting your confidence? Do you catch
yourself thinking you are not smart or good enough, that you don’t deserve
success or it’s too hard? What self criticisms hold you back from reaching
your goals?
Negative Mind Chatter Lowers Your Confidence - Your
unconscious mind believes your negative mind chatter. It doesn’t know if
what you “think” is good for you or not. It’s unable to distinguish between
things that are real or things that are imagined. It just accepts that what
you “think” is what you want and creates the results that it “thinks” you
want. So, if you think “I’m not smart”, your unconscious mind believes that
and it creates results that support “not being smart.”
Neuroscience discovered that the key to making positive change in your life,
is to change the negative programs your brain is running or what you see,
hear and feel in your mind and body. Imagine your mind is a computer with
many programs running. Your thoughts and beliefs control your “mental
programs” through the pictures you see in your mind, the thoughts you think
and the feelings you feel in your body. The “mental programs” that lead to
negative mind chatter, limiting beliefs and behaviours, can be updated to
positive, supportive mental programs. By changing these programs to
empowering ones, you automatically become more confident.
Installing Empowering Mental Programs - You can begin to catch
your negative thought patterns and change them into positive affirmations or
statements by using the ideas below:
(1) When you catch a negative thought, say, “cancel, cancel”, and replace it
with a positive thought or affirmation.
(2) Create positive mind chatter with this simple, effective exercise: Bring
to mind a specific situation where you experienced negative mind chatter.
Imagine going back to that time, as if you were there and listen to the
voice. Often, negative mind chatter seems to be coming from somewhere other
than our throat. Where is the sound coming from? What is it saying? What
does it sound like? Where is it directed?
Slowly move the voice into your throat area. Notice the change. Most likely
the tone or volume will change, usually by becoming softer and more
friendly. Sometimes the words change to helpful suggestions, facts, what you
feel, think or want. It usually will talk from a “self” perspective like I
see, I hear, I feel, I think, I want.
Did this exercise change your experience? Imagine several future situations
and go through the steps again quickly. Notice how this makes you feel more
whole, confident, resourceful and the situation seems easier.
Visualization is a Powerful Tool for Career Confidence - You can
build confidence, focus and motivation with visualization. Each person
visualizes differently, so don’t get caught up on doing it right or wrong.
You have a “primary sense” that runs your “mental programs”, meaning that
you may not see pictures clearly; perhaps you hear more sounds, thoughts and
words or feelings in your body. Practice the following visualization, adding
as much detail of your senses, sight, sound, touch, taste and smell and
enjoy excellent results.
Career Visualization - What is your desired end result?
Clarify your career and confidence goals by writing out specifically what
you want, the specific $$’s per month or year, position, etc. This creates a
positive focus that moves you towards your goals and dreams. For example, in
my business I want a specific monthly income, I want my clients to get
excellent results when working with me, and I want them to tell their
friends about me. I visualize my income, see my face smiling, my clients
cheering, laughing and telling their friends, who come to me. I feel happy
and content.
Write out what you will see, hear and feel in your life when you have it.
Use your imagination. Write out the scenario with a mental image of “You”
having already achieved your goal. This is the “mental program” that will
direct and guide you. You can tape this and listen to it or simply visualize
it for five minutes two or three times a day. This is like daydreaming, but
with a very powerful, positive focus. As you mentally see yourself
confidently reaching your career goals, your plan will become clearer and
more achievable.
Practice visualizing different scenarios or situations that fit your career.
Have fun playing with them using the following:
- See the advantage of your service or product.
- Imagine yourself successfully taking action steps through your week, for
greater focus and motivation.
- See, hear, feel yourself confidently moving through your day, perhaps
meeting clients, filling their needs. Notice how pleased they are with your
work and how great you feel.
- See yourself getting what you want. Imagine “Win Win” situations, where
the results are great for everyone.
- Imagine clear communications for greater confidence and clarity when
meeting with other people. Rehearse situations; what others might say, do,
question, etc. Play it out in your mind and you will find yourself more
prepared for meetings.
- Who do you know who does what you want to do really well? Visualize
yourself acting more like them, in your own unique way.
- Mentally see, hear and feel yourself “Just Doing It” and let the good
feelings flow through you.
Practice using these techniques daily and you will find yourself
automatically more confident and successful. Changing what you see, think
and feel in your mind, will make you more confident.
Jan Mitchell, Master NLP Therapist since 1994, combines Visualization,
Hypnosis & Reiki to empower you in your personal life, career, relationships
& Spirituality. Jan may be reached at 403.225.2973 or
www.expanding-minds.com |
