How To Control Your Career Narrative During Challenging Times
Taking control of your professional story is a necessary part of navigating any major career transition
As a solopreneur myself who stepped away from my more traditional corporate career many years ago, self-critique continues to be a source of stress and anxiety for me. I still catch myself setting somewhat unrealistic expectations for myself or taking critique a bit too personally.
Whether your self-employed or full-time employed, your success is highly dependent on your own ability to achieve results, and your mindset can and will have a disproportionately large impact on your career trajectory. Therefore, taking control of your own internal dialogue and mindset is critical.
Self-Critique Is Both Helpful and Hurtful
Self-critique can be a double-edged sword, something I’ve certainly felt as someone who does a lot of public speaking. I’m very critical of my own work, partially driven by the large volume of feedback I receive, both solicited and unsolicited, which forces me to continually revaluate my work. Without self-critique, you can’t grow or further improve your skills.
However, when self-critique turns into self-doubt or negative self-talk, it can become a major roadblock. For example, sometimes when I give a public talk or workshop, I get a little fixated on how I could have done better. Even if the vast majority of feedback I get afterwards is positive, the perfectionist in me tends to feel like it could have been better. I focus on the 5% of things I could have improved rather than the other 95% that seemed to go well.
I’ve gotten caught up in my fair share of cycles feeling like nothing is ever good enough, which can be exhausting and adversely affect my motivation. If unchecked, this mindset can quickly become demoralizing.
Constant Comparison Can Be Toxic
Comparison is another source of self-critique. These days, social media makes it that much easier to compare yourself to others, whether a professional in a similar role or someone you follow online who’s managed to gain the kind of traction you haven’t managed to achieve yourself.
However, when you compare yourself to others, you can often focus on your own shortcomings. You may feel like you’re not moving fast enough, achieving enough, earning enough, or progressing fast enough. Feelings of inadequacy and a lack of confidence in your abilities.
I get into funks like this, when nothing ever feels like enough. It gets exhausting both mentally & physically and ultimately ends up having a negative impact on the quality of my work.
Self-Belief Is Powerful
On the flip side, believing in yourself can have a positive impact on your career trajectory. Self-belief enables you to confidently take risks, boldly put yourself out there, and unabashedly pursue opportunities that may have initially seemed out of reach.
For example, during my first year as a public speaker, I gave a talk at a big marketing conference in London where everyone else seemed to be. All the other speakers were from big-name companies like Microsoft, Adobe, and Intel. I was the only independent speaker without the backing of a big brand.
Before I went up to give my talk, I told myself that I was absolutely going to deliver the very best talk of the day, no matter what. It honestly bordered on arrogance. I remember psyching myself up and convincing myself that my talk was going to be so good that everyone in the room would walk away thinking I gave the best talk of the day.
And you know what? Many attendees came up to me afterwards and told me my talk was the best of the day. Those initial affirmations resulted in greater self-belief which in turn enabled me to feel more confident before my next talks, which in turn created a virtuous cycle of positive actions and results.
The Impact of Mindset on Results
Now, I’m sharing this not to brag. I’m sharing to illuminate this dichotomy in my own career because I’ve seen how my mindset can have a major liability or asset. I’ve seen how self-critique can sabotage me. And I’ve seen how confidence can propel me.
Belief alone is obviously not enough. Preparation, hard work, and knowledge are necessary to achieve success. Additionally, being critical of your own work is necessary to improve and get better at what you do.
But once you have those elements in place, at some point, you must mix in your belief in yourself to convince others to believe in you. You first must believe you’re great at what you do to come across as someone who is great at what you do.
When you believe in yourself, you’re more likely to deliver your best work and achieve the results you’re capable of. When you’re overly critical of yourself or compare yourself to others, you’re more likely to hold yourself back and miss out on opportunities.
Control Your Career Narrative
Start taking control of your mindset by just being aware of how your internal dialogue can have a direct impact on your results. If you catch yourself being overly negative, attempt to reframe your thinking and remind yourself of your existing progress and accomplishments.
Also, try to surround yourself with supporters and advocates who believe in you and support your goals. Mentors, friends, and helpful colleagues can provide you with both candid feedback and emotional support when you need it most.
Finally, give yourself a bit more margin for error. Start by picking one element of your work where you’re constantly critiquing yourself. Try to spend the next week being a little less critical and give yourself credit where credit’s due.
No matter how volatile your professional path may feel at times, your career narrative is absolutely within your control. Doubting your abilities is natural and inevitable. The best antidote to this is to acknowledge your concerns, believe in your abilities, and take ownership of your own mindset to give yourself the best chance at achieving your career ambitions.
Originally published at Forbes.
