There are many different misconceptions based on what it is like to be successful in a professional environment. Many of us regularly look out at those people who seem to be at the top of their game regarding their working lives and think that there must be some secret recipe they have all followed to get where they are. But if you scratch below the surface, you will find that in reality, there are many different reasons as to why these people got where they are today. Sometimes, it can be down to sheer luck. Not the most credible path to take, of course, and relying on luck to make things happen for you is never the way to go through life. But being at the right place at the right time can often play a huge role in how many people end up in the positions they are in. Additionally, it can also be worth bearing in mind that the social circle’s people keep can be integral to the kind of success they experience in their professional lives.
For every business man or woman who has started their company from scratch and worked tirelessly to get it where it is today, there will be another two who have only inherited a family business. This can often feel a little disheartening for people who genuinely do work hard to build up a business, but unfortunately, it is just a fact of life. With all these thoughts filling up your head, however, it can often feel futile going into business. We tend to be our own worst critics, and many people convince themselves that there is no point in even trying when it comes to hitting the big time. However, just because you haven’t had much luck yet, or because you weren’t born into a wealthy family, doesn’t mean that you can’t see your business dreams become a reality. Sure, it may take a little more work than you anticipated – but it is do-able. But before you even start putting any plan into action, you need to make sure that you are cut out for the long-haul. No matter what background they are from, all business people tend to have a few things in common: strong convictions, and an assured personality.
Here are a few ideas to focus your goals and boost your business confidence for the best results yet.
Practice public speaking
You may know your business plan inside out, and back to front. In fact, you feel you know it so confidently that you would probably be able to read it word for word with your eyes shut. However, this is only going to be useful if you are subsequently able to present the plan out loud – in front of a group. Whether you like it or not, public speaking is a huge part of the professional sphere, and it can certainly pay off to be good at it. However, that doesn’t mean that it always comes naturally to people. You probably don’t need to be told twice that speaking in front of an audience can be quite nerve-wracking, and even more so if it is a critical pitch. To make sure you don’t lose sleep over the thought of a prospective public pitch, get plenty of practice in beforehand. Even if you don’t plan on speaking in public anytime soon, the ability to do so is a great life skill to have. Learn to control your breathing to calm you if you get into a state of panic, and find the best technique that helps you memorize large bodies of text. It can also help to be mindful of your body language and your gesticulation, as these can be dead giveaways as to how confident (or not) you are feeling. Consider recording yourself or practicing speaking in front of a mirror – or, as a trusted friend to listen to you and give some honest feedback.
Surround yourself with positivity
We all know the dangers of becoming too wrapped up in your thoughts – and if those thoughts are negative, your confidence in your business abilities can quickly drop. Try and avoid spending too much time looking at the wins of others. Using other people’s successes as inspiration is great, but always comparing yourself to other people is a one-way ticket to corporate disaster. For this reason, make an effort to stay off social media for the most part. Remember that people only share their highlights on social media, so you never really get a full picture of what’s going on in their lives, or what struggles they have had to overcome professionally either. A winner’s mindset is never built on peer-to-peer comparisons – you should instead feed your energy into building YOUR empire, not worrying about anyone else’s. Additionally, trying making positive thought merely another part of your everyday life.
The law of attraction teaches that negative self-talk is one of the main things that holds people back from achieving what they want to achieve. If you struggle to rid your mind of such negative chatter, don’t be afraid to use some visual or organizational aids to help compartmentalize your feelings. This could be the use of positive affirmations and inspiring quotes – make a physical mood board, if you find that helps you, or simply set one as your phone’s wallpaper. Writing lists or a journal can also be excellent ways to streamline your thoughts, goals, and plans, thus helping you keep on top of your game. There are plenty of tools available now to help you do this, whether you prefer the physical act of writing something with a pen and paper, or whether you like filling in a digital calendar instead. When you’re not worrying so much about all you have to do, you immediately become more confident and assured – so use whatever tools you need to organize yourself.
Be the best you can be
Despite all this talk of self-belief and positive thinking, it is also worth being mindful that all of those things can only get you so far. You don’t need a University degree to run a successful business, and you don’t need to be a naturally overbearing character in order to get your voice heard. But what you do need to do is to make sure that you are an expert in your field. Failing to educate yourself about the things that matter is not only lazy – it’s naive. The last thing you want is to have blagged yourself into a conference or a networking event, only for it to become very apparent that you are not as knowledgeable about your field as you might have made out. When this facade starts to unravel, your confidence starts to unravel with it, and as a result, many people end up leaving the business game for good. If the launch of your business can wait a couple of years, use those years to educate yourself to whatever degree you feel is appropriate. This could mean becoming University educated, doing a particular business course, traveling the world (travel is especially useful for broadening the mind) or simply perfecting your business plan, right down to the minor details. This might seem like a lot of time to spend on preparation before even getting the ball rolling at all. But, we’ve all heard the scary statistics about all the startups which fold within the first few years. Nine times out of ten, this has happened because the person at the helm hadn’t prepared enough, and hadn’t educated themselves enough about what they were getting into.
Closing a business costs time and money, and can be a real knock to your professional and personal confidence. Therefore, it is better to take some time making sure you are 100% cut out for the business world, and get it right the first time, than rushing into things only to have it all crash down around you. Plus, most people in the business arena are pretty switched-on. If you don’t know what you are talking about, the majority of people will be able to sniff you out straight away. Remember that a well-rounded individual can build a well-rounded business and that employees are more likely to flock to someone who is self-assured too.
Spend some time working on yourself and then, once you feel satisfied, focus that energy on your business instead – you won’t be disappointed.