If you’ve ever had the feeling that you’re on an endless working treadmill, this post is for you. I have felt like this in the past too, and what’s more – I really believed it.
I thought it would be fairly difficult to move forward and get ahead at work, and specific situations encouraged this way of thinking for me.
You have to know – to believe – your hard work will take you places. If you don’t believe it yourself, no one else will believe it for you and it can truly hold you back from reaching – and being recognised for – your true potential.
Self-belief unfortunately doesn’t come naturally for everyone. It’s something to be worked at daily, weekly, monthly, yearly – and it can be fractured by some of the more difficult situations life can throw at you.
Here’s some of the ways I have found that fostering self-worth can help you to achieve in the workplace.
Focus on your strengths
If you aren’t sure what your strengths are, how can you possibly focus on them? How do you know your true value if you’re not sure what it is that you’re good at? The best way to do this is through a strengths finder test. I have found that a quality test can delight and surprise you. You may find that your current role isn’t playing to your strengths at all – which is why you’re not gleaning the satisfaction from your career and perhaps the recognition that you deserve. Check out Marcus Buckingham and Donald O.Clifton’s book ‘Now, discover your strengths‘ and scratch the back panel of the book for your unique code to take the online quiz outlined in the book.
Surround yourself with people who uplift you
If you dislike the people you work with, get out fast because it can be soul-destroying at worst and at best, disempowering to be surrounded by people you have little or no respect for. Seek out people that you like or at least respect, and focus on their strengths as well. They will usually provide you with the same gratuity in return.
Maintain a positive work-life balance
When work becomes your all, it’s not an ideal situation because you can quickly start to feel burnt out and as though you’re running on empty. It’s okay to work hard and if you have a highly demanding job, find ways to incorporate your lifestyle into your work. For example, take regular lunch breaks with friends or colleagues and go to the gym during breaks. Trust your instincts and find what works for you. If you are working yourself to the bone and feeling unrewarded, it’s time to take a step back and re-prioritise. You aren’t going to be in a position to give your best performance if your life feels like it’s lacking substance.
Take time out to focus on your wellbeing
Signs that you’re working too hard include not sleeping, not finding time to switch off and always feeling like you’re ‘on the go’, and having your personal relationships suffer. Making sure you are healthy, relaxed and fulfilled is key to a prosperous life – both at work and at home. Check out some of my health and wellness posts for more on this!
Know that your hard work will be rewarded
There’s nothing worse than feeling as though you’re constantly striving to do more, and expecting more of yourself, with little reward. Always ensure that there is going to be an outcome for your efforts in a long-term sense. This can involve setting your own career goals to be achieved, or developing a one or two-year plan to take yourself to the next level. Drifting along with little regard for what the future holds for you can leave you at risk of living other people’s goals and dreams – without knowing that these are right for you. Of course, there’s no way to ever be sure that you will feel rewarded – but by considering it and asking yourself the question of what you want to achieve and where you want to be, you’ll be much better positioned to find yourself down the track in a more advanced stage of where you truly want to go.
What steps do you take to ensure you will feel rewarded at the end of your hard work?
