Confidence is magnetic. It draws in everyone and everything. When you have it, you light up a room. With it, your success multiples. You’re irresistible. And guess what? Even though you may have your moments when it seems beyond your reach, confidence is actually always much closer and more attainable then you could have ever imagined.
That’s right and recent research proves this. A study published in the Harvard Business Review revealed that by doing a simple exercise, women were able to complete tasks with more confidence and with an extremely higher degree of success than those women who didn’t do the exercise. The study was created with the purpose of understanding why women in business often fell behind men despite ambition, talent, and skills, and its findings can help give you that added boost in your own professional life.
So, what was the simple exercise? Participants were given a list of values and asked to write about them for ten minutes. It’s a very straightforward activity that anyone can do at any time, but don’t let that simplicity fool you. The exercise is effective and in both the initial study and several replications of it, demonstrated a major impact on the success of the women involved.
Why does it work? Researchers explained that it creates a new focus for the individual. Rather than operating from a predetermined stereotype or limitation that comes from self-doubt in a particular situation, for example, meeting a new client to sell a product, a woman is now working from a success mentally. Basically, the exercise is a mental timeout that causes her to disengage from the current circumstances and remember just how valuable she is. Also, it helps a business woman to see herself as a whole person and not simply as the role she’s in right at that moment.
What does this mean for you as you’re pushing forward towards the success you deserve? Well, there’s a few lessons to take from this:
- You can conquer self-doubt and shine in any professional situation.
- You’re not alone in your struggle with self-doubt. Women struggle with it every day and women succeed in overcoming it every day as well.
- If you’re willing to give just a few minutes at the start of every business day and/or throughout the day prior to major events, you can take your success to an even higher level.
Here’s the exercise in more detail:
- Find a place where you can be alone.
- Google a list of personal values.
- Or you could alter this part and simply make a list of values that you feel are significant to you.
- Set a timer for 10 minutes.
- Pick 2-3 values from the list that are most important to you, and then write about why they might be important to someone else. Provide examples from your own life to support your points.
- Go out and conquer your next activity!
You can modify this a bit to fit your own style, but basically keep in mind that the goal is to give yourself room to appreciate who you are in a broader context. One way to expand this exercise would be to write about a recent success in addition to the values writing.
Remember: Doubt and fear can’t possibly stand up to your power. So, the next time you’re feeling like maybe you’re lacking, know that it isn’t true. You’ve got what you need to succeed. There are great things ahead of you and you deserve every one of them!
