“Ahhh! Excuse me please, I don’t think I can do this” or “I don’t think I can handle this kind of project! It is too big! What if I flop?” “I don’t want to disgrace myself!” does any of the above sound familiar? From time to time, you may undermine yourself at work. Yes, you have doubts about your abilities sometimes, (we all do at different points in our lives-even the best-of-the-best, if there is any word like that). Airing these doubts and your behaviour at times sabotage your work. Your boss, colleagues and clients may think less of you and you might prevent yourself from working at your full potential.
How exactly can you stop undermining yourself at the workplace? Yes, you got it! with self-awareness, determination and practice.
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Self-awareness
Agree that you have negative behaviours you need to get rid of. How can you cure a blind man, if he doesn’t believe he is blind? If you don’t know you have a problem, you won’t look for a solution. So, know you ARE undermining yourself by exhibiting certain behaviours.
Do you dwell on the negative side of things? How often do you think about them? What do you focus on- good or bad? Do you procrastinate? Are you careless and sloppy at work? What bad work habit do you have? Do you sometimes see yourself as never good enough for anything, role or project? What are your biggest insecurities? Etc.
Answering these questions and any other that pops into your head while reading this, will help in acknowledging what and where the problem is.
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Determination
You know what the behaviours are, what do you do to change them? Or how do you go about changing them? With determination. Decide which behaviours you want to commit yourself to improving and then stick to improving them. Take note of the fact that there are some that will be more difficult to work on than others, e.g., thinking limiting thoughts. Thus, you will need to put in a lot of effort into those, plus your professionalism and integrity is on the line if you fail to work on such. Be and stay determined to overcome them.
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Practice
Practice thinking positive thoughts rather than negative one, practice behaving right than undermining yourself. It won’t be easy but practice makes perfect, doesn’t it? reflect on your good sides, speak reassuring words to yourself from time to time, take up things that you are afraid of and feel inadequate for (ask for help along the way), break disturbing patterns of thinking, change the company you keep if you realise you all engage in disturbing or negative conversation whenever you meet for lunch, around the coffee machine or after work. If you procrastinate, you can start early on any project you are given instead of putting it off as usual. The little little changes matter. They will help paint a bigger better picture. Thus, helping you stop undermining yourself.
Be a better you. Take charge of you and your habits and behaviour at work and stop undermining yourself. When it comes to undermining yourself, you are both the cause and the solution. By successfully managing such behaviours, you allow yourself and others to experience your best qualities.