For some people, a job is something they have to go through to pay the bills, or what’s known as a necessary evil. For others, it is a vocation, a call or something that gives meaning to each day of the week. Finding the right job or career can take a lifetime, and is often the product of developing the necessary skills, acquiring specific knowledge, being dedicated to the company, demonstrating a sense of commitment, and for some, perhaps good luck. involved, or being in the right place at the right time.

While there are many reasons why a person may succeed or fail in finding a good job or career, there is another factor that can have a significant influence on how a career evolves, and that is the beliefs a person has about their skills and capabilities. All it takes is one persistent negative belief, sustained and sustained over an extended period of time, when someone begins to question your ability to perform well, sells your talents short-term, or allows self-derogatory self-talk to continue, and this is will manifest. more on missed opportunities and progress.

Understandably, there are certain circumstances at work that can create a negative frame of mind that eventually disrupts the best of intentions. But when a negative disposition is allowed to continue and is left unchecked, especially when it is related to a person’s view of self, there will eventually be a critical breaking point when something has to give or change. If you don’t question your beliefs in yourself, chances are your work will suffer.

A negative belief is the most toxic of all beliefs due to the potential harm it can cause to a person’s well-being and overall career potential, and it is also the most difficult to change until a conscious effort is made to question and change it. . Self-beliefs also require more than affirmations to bring about change. Other positive mood strategies may be needed to help find a new way to see the best within a person.

Do you know how you develop your beliefs?

early development: Your beliefs began early in life and what you believe, along with what you were taught to believe, shaped your worldview and the lens through which you view life and understand events. Each belief is established through a pattern of thinking, behaving, and reacting to your external environment. You were possibly influenced to believe certain ideas about the world and life by your parents, religious institutions, and even the school you attended.

Later development: Beliefs that are developed and held about your job skills, along with the ability to learn and adapt to a work environment, are also formed early in your career as a product of the perceived results of attempts made to complete required job tasks . As he attempts to perform tasks, he develops beliefs about himself, along with his ability and ability to perform those tasks. Later, as he gains knowledge and skills, he can change or alter those beliefs.

Your beliefs are practiced thought patterns and it is natural to use results and situations as evidence to support the maintenance of those beliefs. It is not a natural process to question ingrained beliefs that have become deeply ingrained thought processes, until those beliefs are questioned for some conscious reason.

Can negative beliefs simply be eliminated?

What you will find among many motivational articles is the idea of ​​being and staying happy no matter the circumstances, and maintaining that positive disposition at all times. This type of mindset is not realistic for most people to maintain for long given the nature of many jobs, the demands of a busy workday, or the need to balance numerous responsibilities throughout the week.

It is also not possible to maintain a happy and carefree state every day, ignoring the situations in which you are involved at work. However, it is possible for you to prevent challenging circumstances that arise from derailing the positive beliefs you have already developed. What is helpful is recognizing when negative emotions are being experienced, so that you can address those emotions head-on, instead of ignoring them and pretending everything is fine.

How do you deal with being afraid?

Feeling something described as fearful can almost stop a person in their tracks. Fear occurs when there is a situation in which a person believes they are not equipped or trained to deal with it, when the rewards associated with a risk do not seem worth it, or when taking the risk and performing a new skill or task seems too difficult. . For some people, it creates a sense of fight or flight that can take a physical or mental toll.

This can change or negate positive beliefs held and create negativity, especially for people who remember challenges rather than accomplishments. Fearful self-talk usually begins with something like “I can’t do…”, “I’m afraid to try…”, “I’m not sure I know how…”, “I’m not sure.” sure I can learn…” or similar statements. It is a fear of the unknown that can create doubt and anxiety, whether the statements made are based on a valid or invalid premise. The more the fear is accepted as real and uncontrollable , the more positive beliefs are minimized.

5 Strategies to Change Negative Beliefs About Your Job or Career

Now is the time to assess the dominant thoughts you have about your job or professional skills.

What do you believe about your ability to perform the tasks required for your job?

What do you think about your future ability in your current career?

Pay attention to the words you use and how you describe yourself.

If you find that you have negative beliefs, you can use the following strategies to challenge and replace those beliefs.

#one. Decide that you are your number one supporter: There is an expression that people often use to describe how they see their life and that is about being their own worst critic. This is a common perspective when self-esteem is measured by goals that are met or not met, especially when they are labeled as personal or professional failures.

To become your number one supporter, start focusing on your accomplishments no matter how small they may seem to you. What this does is establish a much-needed pattern of thinking that can lead to the development of positive self-confidence.

#two. Start by developing a new belief now: What this strategy entails is more than making a positive statement. You can begin the development of a new belief statement with something simple, such as “I think…”, and add a positive perspective about a skill you have that is related to your job.

For example, “I believe I am proficient at… and have demonstrated an ability to…” and fill in the blanks with something related to your job. This helps create a positive disposition and will reaffirm your skills and abilities.

#3. Allow yourself to make mistakes: It is highly unlikely that you can work through an entire career without making what anyone would perceive as a mistake of some kind. That is the nature of learning about yourself and what you are capable of.

What is challenging in looking back, at what has been perceived as a mistake, is whether a person remains stuck in the past and allows them to determine future progress. If framed from a failure perspective, that can create negative self-talk and lead to the belief that you can’t get over it. If you can acknowledge what has happened without blame and determine what can be learned from it, you will change your point of view.

#4. Allow yourself to feel and address your emotions: Do you know emotional intelligence? At the heart of emotional intelligence is awareness of how we feel and respond as a result of those feelings. Every day at work it is possible to experience many feelings and some of those feelings can also cause an intense emotional reaction. What you don’t know how to do is pretend those emotions don’t exist. You must feel them and address them.

Good feelings can motivate better performance, and uncomfortable feelings can produce negative emotion that can result in a reactive response. Negative emotions can build up over time and that is why those emotions need to be addressed, otherwise one’s positive beliefs in oneself may be overshadowed. When you feel negative emotions, pay attention to what you are feeling and work through it. The goal is to overcome it and maintain positive self-confidence. Ask yourself: What do I need to address this situation in a way that will result in a positive outcome?

#5. Pay attention to what you’re thinking: You have unlimited thoughts going through your mind every day. Thinking is a natural process and throughout the working day there are many thoughts that are likely to involve job performance to some degree.

The key to creating positive beliefs in yourself is to include statements in your daily self-talk that support your progress. Here are some statements you can use: “I’m making progress…”, “I’m learning…”, or “I’m doing my best…” – to remind yourself of your positive qualities. This helps you look for the best in yourself and your performance, which in turn will influence what you believe about yourself.

Today is a new day: what are you going to believe?

Would you like to feel better about yourself today and tomorrow? You can when you become intentional with your thoughts. An intentional thinker means that you pay attention to what you think, do not allow circumstances and situations to change the positive beliefs you have about yourself, and control the emotions you feel. The process of changing or replacing negative beliefs, especially those related to your professional ability, takes time and is in your best interest, as your continued professional development depends on it.

The longer a person holds negative beliefs, the more difficult it becomes to be hopeful about the future, which can create apprehension and fear. In contrast, the ability to believe in one’s best self leads to a greater likelihood of success at work and long-term progress in career development. If you can believe in your ability to do well, along with your ability to learn and acquire new skills, this supporting belief system will reinforce your performance and how you feel about yourself at work. You will develop a new sense of perseverance, determination and inner strength that will sustain your career.