Self-Discovery Chronicles

5 Ways Life Coaching Can Help You Achieve Your Goals

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 15:19:04 GMT

Tony Shavers III • Nov 10, 2021

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Are you a young, ambitious professional who's looking to develop your career and achieve your goals but don't feel equipped to do so? Some professionals may have the necessary tools and resources, but lack of clarity, uncertainty about the future, and self-doubt impede progress. Luckily, there are practical personal development tools available for you to achieve your goals, and life coaching is one of them.

What is life coaching?

A life coach, or personal development coach, is a professional trained to help you (the coachee) identify, pursue, and achieve your goals. Life coaches provide leadership, guidance, and encouragement to assist you in maximizing your full potential by using practical steps to set and achieve goals .

How does life coaching work?

Coaching usually consists of a series of one-on-one sessions between you and your coach. These sessions can be once or twice a week or month, depending on your schedule. Your coach will ask you to commit to completing specific tasks required for achieving your goals and measure your achievements along the way.

One study assessed the effectiveness of coaching and concluded that it reduces procrastination and enhances performance . The significance of coaching depends mainly on your commitment to follow through on set goals.

Who can benefit from life coaching?

Anyone can benefit from coaching, even those who are making steady progress in their career or business. Coaching may be particularly beneficial for young professionals and entrepreneurs who can identify with any of these obstacles:

You need help navigating a new job or business and increasing productivity
Fear of failure prevents you from pursuing goals
You lack structure, discipline, enthusiasm, or self-motivation
You need professional advice on turning great ideas into successful ventures
You feel stagnated and need guidance on unlocking creativity and growth potentials
You desire to improve communications skills, confidence, and self-esteem

What are the benefits of life coaching?

In recent years, more people appreciate the benefits of working with life coaches for their personal growth and professional development. Statistics show that professional coaching works and provides numerous benefits. Here are five ways it can assist you in achieving your goals.

#1.

Discover Clarity and Direction

Clarity of purpose and passion is necessary for you to pursue your dreams. Working with a coach allows you to identify your skills, talents, gifts, dreams, strengths, and weaknesses. You'll use the information to map out strategies to guide you toward your goals. Your personal development coach will target your unique skills and talents when assisting you in determining the best methods.

#2.

Identify Goals and Create a Success Plan Clarity and Direction

Identifying and defining your career goals is one of the foundational steps to success. You'll get help from your coach when creating a clear road map of realistic and measurable goals. Having a career success plan written on paper helps you move along step-by-step and stay on course. With a coach by your side, you'll get a constant flow of inspiration to take action toward attaining your goals, achieving financial freedom, and personal satisfaction.

#3.

Overcome Self-Limiting Beliefs

Your coach will facilitate self-awareness so that you can recognize the power for change is within you. They will help you identify the personal challenges and external obstacles holding you from reaching your full potential. Common barriers include fear of failure, fear of success, self-doubt, trouble prioritizing goals, perfectionism, and procrastination. You'll learn how to develop an I-can-do-it attitude and come up with strategies for overcoming self-inhibiting obstacles.

#4.

Follow Through on Commitments

Along with providing counsel and guidance, life coaches offer appreciated support and encouragement as you work toward your goals. They also hold you accountable for the goals you've set and follow up to see if you're pursuing and completing projects. You'll have someone to celebrate with you when you meet or exceed your goals.

#5.

Get Unbiased Feedback and Support

Having an experienced coach on your team is different from relying on a friend or family member for advice. A coach is trained to provide honest and impartial feedback. While they want you to discover your best self and increase confidence, they won't hesitate to hold you accountable, in a supportive way, when you deviate from your plans.

Is life coaching right for me?

People tend to hire a coach for the following list of reasons. You can use it as a yardstick to decide if you need a personal development coach.

They're young professionals or have recently started a new career or business.
They feel stuck in self-destructive habits such as procrastination or poor time-management
Their inner negative self-talk undermines creativity
They experience chronic self-doubt and need help overcoming this personal obstacle
They're looking to create a better work/life balance

Learn more about us and achieve your goals

Consider life coaches your biggest cheerleaders, who will join in celebrating every milestone, big and small. If you've decided to get professional coaching, we are excited to help you build confidence to excel in your personal and professional life.

You'll be collaborating with a trusted and experienced coach who helps aspiring entrepreneurs, professionals, and authors throughout the US. During the confidential one-on-one coaching sessions, we will help you increase your level of self-awareness, find clarity and direction, set realistic goals, and make courageous decisions about your career and life.

You'll get guidance when goals and strategies need adjustment and inspiration when you're faced with challenges or feel discouraged. With time and dedication to your goals, you'll witness the personal, professional, and financial growth coaching can help you attain.

If you need help establishing and achieving goals, learn more about how life coaching can help.

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How to Find a Job You Love? Click Here to Find Your Next Career Move

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 12:21:13 GMT

Tony Shavers III • Nov 10, 2021

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Knowing how to find a job that makes you happy can be a game-changer for young professionals. It can prevent job-hopping and chronic dissatisfaction with a job or career you lack the passion for. Here, you'll find practical steps for pursuing a satisfying career and how an online life coach can make a difference.

How to Find a Better Job

The job search and application process is a job itself. It's time-consuming. You may even find yourself applying for jobs you're not genuinely interested in. You can redirect that time toward evaluating your education, skills, experience, and passion for positioning yourself in a job that's right for you. Those are necessary and fundamental steps, although a lot more groundwork is required for finding a better job.

The list below is a good starting point.

Focus on developing or improving valuable skills.
Make a list of at least 3-5 jobs you want.
Shortlist employers/jobs that fit your skillset.
Create a resume tailored to match the job posting requirements.
Add an attention-grabbing cover letter that conveys you're an ideal candidate.
Market yourself as a problem-solver with the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience.
Post your resume on reputable job platforms such as LinkedIn.
Create an online portfolio to showcase samples of your skills and projects.
Connect with people who have the job you like.

Steps to Find a Career that Makes You Happy

If you're seeking career bliss, not even a better job may provide that inner sense of satisfaction you crave. Whereas a job is a short-term position based on earning money, a career is a long-term endeavor or field of employment. However, you can transfer valuable job skills to a suitable career. A career is a long-term pursuit allowing you to develop your skills in a specific area.

It can provide opportunities and benefits , including:

Greater job security
More opportunities for advancement
Ability to negotiate suitable salary and benefits
Higher earning potential
Greater career satisfaction because you're doing what you love
Opportunities to build a professional network
Favorable health insurance and retirement benefits

All of these benefits contribute to a career that has meaning, inspires, and motivates. But how do you get there, especially as a young professional now finding your way? Hopefully, these practical steps can help catapult you into your dream career or a new career opportunity.

Decide on one career.

Lacking a sense of direction is like being on a ship without a sail. Some individuals frequently change jobs or professions because they are unsure of what they want to do. Others spend too many years in a career they resent. The consequences of job resentment include dissatisfaction, chronic stress, and poor performance.

Pick a career and ask yourself whether it provides your vocational needs. Will it provide the salary, reputation, or connection you want? Or would you have to sacrifice those ideals for a career that brings joy or positively impacts your community? Once you decide, follow the pathway and dedicate yourself to it.

Be passionate about it.

Figuring out where your passion lies will help you cut to the chase and directly pursue a career you'll be happy with. People tend to appreciate their profession when it involves doing things they love or are good at. They also enjoy the benefits , such as fulfillment, motivation, and better health. You're less likely to see them moping around at work, feeling discontent, or saying they "hate" their job.

You may even find your purpose by aligning yourself with a job you are passionate about or are naturally gifted to perform. In his book, The Power of Uniqueness: How to Become Who You Really Are , author Arthur F. Miller puts it this way: "When someone does the thing he or she was born to do, there is an instinctive experience of fulfillment."

Check your skills and experience.

Possessing the relevant qualifications, skills, and experience may be the passport to your next career. They represent where your strength lies, and you can leverage them to find a career you love. If you haven't acquired them yet, it's time to go back to school or take an online course. Another option is aligning yourself with a job to develop the skills and experience for your future career.

Connect with people through networking.

Young professionals use platforms like LinkedIn to connect with people who have achieved the career they dream of. Once you add seasoned professionals to your connections, you can get more insights into their career paths. You might be lucky to find professionals who are happy to share their stories, motivate you, provide helpful resources or an employee referral.

Believe in yourself.

Having the required education, skills, experience, passion, and rubbing shoulders with professionals in your field come to naught if you don't believe in yourself. Dig deep to find out what's causing self-doubt? Is it fear of success, fear of failure, fear of rejection? Did someone question your talents and abilities or say you don't have what it takes? Were you turned down for a job because the decision-maker perceived you as too inexperienced or too young? These are all factors that are self-limiting and can prevent you from tasting career success.

Find a Life Coach

Finding a career you love is not an overnight thing. It usually takes time, patience, believing in yourself, and, sometimes, someone to nudge you in the right direction. That someone can be a professional life coach who will assist in your career and professional development.

I offer life coaching to help aspiring entrepreneurs, professionals, and authors get the clarity they need. As a certified life coach, I deliver personal coaching and easy-to-follow resources that are practical, engaging, effective, and inspiring. I can help you set clear goals, overcome career obstacles, and build the confidence needed to develop a successful career.

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Positive Affirmation Gift Ideas

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 11:02:22 GMT

An affirmation card deck is an ideal gift for anyone in your life who is ready to grow in confidence and self-acceptance.

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Giving a gift is a common way to express care for another person. Unfortunately, finding a meaningful present is not always easy. Positive affirmation gifts, such as an affirmation card deck for adults and teens, offer a unique, thoughtful alternative to gift cards or cash.

What Are the Benefits of Giving a Positive Affirmation Gift

If you are looking for unique gift ideas under $50, consider one that gives the priceless gift of self-esteem. Many gifts do nothing but sit on a shelf or collect dust. As an alternative to gift cards or as practical gift ideas for young entrepreneurs, positive affirmation gifts are the gifts that keep on giving.

An affirmation card deck is not only a unique gift; it can also help your loved one make positive changes and show them that you support their goals, dreams, and aspirations.

What Exactly Is Positive Affirmation

Affirmations are positive statements, that when repeated and referred to consistently, serve to encourage positive thoughts, improving self-confidence and self-esteem.

Why Does Self Affirmation Work

According to the research done over many studies, self-affirmation exercises have been shown to have a broad range of beneficial effects. What we believe about ourselves internally can affect real-world results and outcomes.

Why is this? Study findings suggest this is because self-affirmation activates the brain systems that increase feelings of self-compassion, leading to other beneficial effects and results.

In addition, some researchers have found that self-affirmation cushions the mind from the effects of stress. This allows for a calmer approach to stressful situations that leads to a greater chance of success. For example, reducing nervousness or anxiety before a presentation or job interview makes it much more likely for the event to go smoothly.

Confidence Building Affirmation Gift Ideas

The most common affirmation gifts are printed encouraging statements, such as mugs, pillows, or wall art. These are excellent gift items, but they probably won’t be as effective in building confidence as a deck of cards specifically designed to help people overcome their mental barriers.

How Do Positive Affirmation Cards Work

A positive affirmation deck works best when you use it consistently as part of a daily routine. You choose a card each week to focus on and read it several times a day, following any instructions on the card. By reinforcing positive thoughts, negative thoughts are replaced with new encouraging and confident ones. This improves self-esteem and results overall in a more positive and self-assured mindset.

Who Can Benefit From Self-esteem Boosting Gifts

Many young people, including those in their 20s, struggle with limiting self-beliefs, but low self-confidence can be an obstacle for people of any age. Self-discovery and affirmation can be the tools a person needs to unlock their full potential and achieve their personal, school, or business goals.

An individual has to make an effort to practice consistently. Still, if they do, affirmation aids such as self-help books, positive affirmation cards, and personal life coaches can help build self-esteem and set someone on a more positive path .

When Is the Best Time to Make an Affirmation Gift

There are many occasions when this can be a thoughtful gift. Here are several examples:

A Graduation Gift

Fresh graduates can usually use a lift in confidence when joining the real world. Your favorite “life advice” book paired with a deck of affirmation cards is a thoughtful and memorable graduation gift. You could write a message or your best advice inside the front cover for an even more personal touch.

A Birthday Gift

Birthdays are a time for celebration, but they are also a time for many people to reflect on the past and make new plans for a brighter future. This makes birthdays a perfect time to give a special gift to encourage them to make the next year great.

A New Job

Starting a new job can be stressful. If you’ve done this in the last few years, no explanation is necessary. There is a lot to learn in a short time in a new environment. Positive affirmation can give you or your loved one a leg up they need to make it through the transition.

A New Year’s Gift

A new year brings a brand-new start and is when people often are motivated to make changes. Use this occasion to show your loved one how much you care by giving them a gift that will help them achieve their goals for the new year.

A Thinking of You Gift

You may have noticed that someone close to you is feeling low, and you want to give them some extra care and attention. You may never know the impact that a small gift at the right time can have.

Where Can I Buy Positive Affirmation Cards

Press Reset affirmation cards are the perfect gift for someone who could use a lift in their confidence, primarily as they work on a new enterprise, make a transition, or work to achieve their personal goals.

Give the gift of self-discovery, positivity and confidence to someone special in your life.

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Press Reset and Beat Your Job Search Anxiety

Sun, 22 Aug 2021 23:33:56 GMT

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Are you currently struggling with a job search? Are fear and anxiety holding you back? Tools like positive affirmation cards help you shift your thinking and break through your inner obstacles. There is power in the words you choose, and that power can influence your life.

Recognizing and Overcoming Job Search Anxiety

The story we tell ourselves can have a direct effect on our lives. Does any of the following sound familiar?

Are you hesitant to reach out to your network because you feel like you aren't good enough?
Do you tell yourself people won't want to help you?
Do you not apply to jobs you want just because you don't have ALL the listed qualifications?
Do you ask — Is anxiety stopping me from getting a job?
Do you find excuses not to apply to jobs that you think you would enjoy?
Are you afraid to go after the job you want because of opinions and pressure from others?
Are you staying in your current job because it is familiar, even though you are unhappy?
Do you feel stuck in a less-than-perfect job situation?
Do you think — I can't find a job and I'm depressed — do you feel like giving up?

If you can relate to any of these situations, it could be that your words and mindset are limiting your opportunities.

What Effect Can Your Words Have

The language you use when speaking with others or having internal conversations with yourself can directly impact what happens to you. For example, if you tell yourself, "I can't do this" or "I am never going to find a job," it can cause what some people refer to as a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you see the world around you as bad, it is terrible. If you see the world around you as good, it is more likely to be good.

You might think, how am I supposed to be positive when things keep going wrong, I feel anxious, or stuck. It takes time to change your mindset, but it is possible, and using positive affirmations can help. Affirmations are positive statements that you can use to triumph over a negative attitude.

Positive affirmations seem to some people to be too simple to make a difference, but the fact is that science provides evidence that practicing self-affirmations can improve your life. For example, scientific research suggests that self-affirmation changes the way your brain responds to stressful situations. By changing your response, you can often control the outcome of a situation.

Pushing Through Job Search Depression

If you've been looking for a job for a while, you can get discouraged or even depressed. However, a strong sense of self-worth and a positive outlook can help give you the strength to hold out for a more suitable position, rather than taking the first opportunity that comes along. Gaining confidence through self-affirmation results in feeling more personal control over finding work . This can help you to push through any disappointment you might feel from your job search. It can also help you to hold out for what you want, rather than jumping on the first job offer that comes your way.

When job hunting, even reading the job descriptions can sometimes give you job search anxiety, much less applying or interviewing. It can seem like the qualifications required for even entry-level jobs are out of reach or extensive. The job market and the roles available change so rapidly that even experienced workers often feel this way. Changing your outlook can help in this situation as well.

If you change the way you look at job descriptions, from viewing them as requirements to more of a wish list, it becomes easier to apply for positions you may not fully qualify for. Telling yourself, I can do this job, rather than, I don't have all the qualifications, so I won't bother applying, is one example of how this can increase your chances of landing a job. Having the confidence to apply for jobs you think you can do even when you don't tick all the boxes is one way to increase your chances of landing a job. However, first, you have to have the self-esteem and resiliency to go for it regardless of the results.

Overcome Your Disappointments

It is normal to feel disappointed when you don't hear back after applying to numerous places or think you've aced an interview, only to have the potential employer ghost you. During a job search, this can happen repeatedly. How to handle disappointment? Especially if it has been going on for some time? How do you keep going through tough times?

A job search can be a frustrating experience, but it can also be an opportunity.

The universe doesn't always give you what you want, but sometimes there is something better in store, the timing isn't right yet, or there is a lesson to learn. Often we see things that don't go our way as missed opportunities, but maybe this isn't always the case. "If I didn't get this job, it must be because there is something more out there for me" is a more positive way to see the situation. If you can adjust your mindset, even disappointing experiences become learning opportunities rather than doing well or poorly. When things don't go as planned, it is an opportunity to learn to be more resilient or cope with uncertainty.

Self-Esteem Affirmations Ease Your Anxiety

Using daily intention cards as part of your routine can help you to change you to overcome your anxiety and self-limiting beliefs. You can make positivity your default setting by replacing any doubts or lack of confidence with optimistic thoughts. By focusing on opportunities and solutions, instead of obstacles, you will notice that you start to feel calm and control your job search.

Discover Your Inner Strength

Often in life, there are things you want that can seem out of reach. However, a simple shift in thinking can be the difference between reaching your goals or staying stuck.

You can develop the confidence and resilience to move forward, get un-stuck, and attract new opportunities.

It is one thing for people to say, change your words and mindset, but it is another thing to do it. Positive affirmation is a practical tool that can make it easier to set your default setting to optimism.

When you build a solid foundation of confidence and positive self-worth, you gain a renewable source of internal energy and motivation to keep going, keep trying and keep moving forward no matter what obstacles stand in your way.

The reason self-affirmation works is that it exercises your positive mental muscles. Just as working out gives you more energy physically, repeating positive words can fill your mental energy tank from empty to full.

You wouldn't expect a six-pack from one session in the weight room, and you can't expect to become confident overnight from one session of positive affirmation. Just like physical exercise, mental work can take commitment and repetition. However, just like with physical activity, you will improve if you keep practicing and showing up.

If you're reluctant to go after your next job because of anxiety, Press Reset Affirmation cards can help you get over the hurdles and pursue your ambition.

Sources

11 Signs You May Have Low Self Esteem and 5 Techniques to Fix It

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 21:28:17 GMT

Tony Shavers III • Aug 11, 2021

Low self-esteem can affect your confidence, cause you to miss out on opportunities, and make you feel like you aren’t reaching your full potential. However, through guided self-discovery , you can find ways to raise your self-esteem and replace a lack of confidence to be more grounded, connected, and assured.

Signs and Activities to Boost Low Self Esteem

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What Are the Signs of a Low Self Worth?

How do you know if you have low self-esteem? If you have been struggling with feeling “less than” for some time, you may think that it is normal to feel the way you do. Of course, everyone’s confidence does have natural ups and downs, but there are signs that you could be suffering from low-self esteem.

Passing up opportunities

Being afraid or feeling unready to take on new challenges.

Sensitive to criticism

When someone says something even slightly discouraging or negative, you may take it to heart rather than trusting your judgment.

Not accepting compliments

Thinking that people are not serious when they compliment you. For example, they just say nice things about me to be polite, and it can’t be true.

Focusing on negatives

Frequently looking at the bad side of a situation. I should have done this; I should have done that; it should be this way; why is this happening.

Ignoring your achievements

Downplaying the achievements you have made. I was only second, not first. When you got a good grade, telling yourself it was an easy class or not the best school.

Thinking other people are better than you

It may seem like the people around you say the right things, wear the right things, and do the right things while constantly questioning yourself.

Exaggerating your mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes, but when you have low self-esteem, even after a minor stumble, you may tell yourself, “I can’t do anything right” or “I’m not cut out for this”.

Setting inflexible “rules”

Do you set rules for yourself based on external expectations of how you “should” be and what you “should do”?

Self-doubt

Are you constantly questioning your choices and decisions?

#10

Stuck in your thoughts

Do you often go over situations or your prior actions, wondering how you could have done things differently?

#11

Physical symptoms

Low self-esteem can even lead to physical symptoms such as oversleeping, tiredness, headaches, and even stomach aches.

Self Esteem Test

If some of the signs above seem familiar or strike a chord, you may want to further explore your self-image and confidence. Taking a test to evaluate your level of self-esteem is one way to discover more about yourself.

Can Self Esteem Change?

Self-esteem can change. Your self-esteem has a lot to do with how you see yourself, your opinions, and habitual thought patterns. Making changes to limiting thoughts and behaviors can raise your self-esteem. Your self-esteem may rise and fall throughout your life, but through a process of self-discovery, you can learn to recognize your patterns and adjust your limiting beliefs.

How to Heal Self Esteem

There is no magic pill you can take to heal your self-esteem, but you can do practical and effective things to take action. It takes an ongoing commitment to change and a journey of self-discovery, but it is possible to heal your self-esteem and gain confidence.

Practical Activities to Boost Sense of Worth

There are things you can do to raise your self-esteem and your self-image . It is possible to overcome and to feel more positive about yourself, your abilities, and as a result, what you can do and achieve. Some of the fixes for low self-esteem may seem simple. Still, it is going through the process, changing habits, and focusing your attention differently that makes these simple activities effective.

What Are Five Ways to Improve Faith in Oneself?

Self Discovery

To make changes and know where you want to go, you have to start where you are. Understanding what motivates you and being aware of your untapped potential can help you set goals aligned with your version of success. Self-discovery can also make you aware of the barriers and stumbling blocks that may be standing in your way. The first step to any project is to gather the tools you need. In the case of self-discovery, reading a self-discovery book or working with a personal life coach can offer valuable support on your journey.

Positive Affirmations

Start noticing your internal conversations. When you have low self-esteem, you may get stuck in a cycle of negative thinking or self-talk. You can change the way you think. It is possible to change your mindset. If you consistently replace negative thoughts that are not serving you with new and positive ones, positive thinking becomes a habit. Positive affirmation cards are one tool that can help you to develop positive thought patterns.

Improving Self Esteem Worksheets

When your confidence is low, it can sometimes cause rumination, circular thoughts that roll around in your head as you think about all the things that could go wrong. These thoughts seldom lead anywhere productive but can take up a lot of your energy and time. When you use worksheets to write out your thoughts, you get your ideas out of your head, allowing you to see them from a different viewpoint or perspective. Self-esteem worksheets are effective because they allow you to see your patterns and thoughts more clearly and objectively. Then, when you have clarity, you can make positive changes.

Shift Your Focus Outward

Once you have a better understanding of yourself and a more positive outlook, it is time to move your focus outward. If you are constantly stressed about your worries and problems, you can get stuck in your head, and concerns can become more significant than they are. When you think about those around you and what you can do to help them, it shifts your attention in a different direction. If you can help someone else or work on a meaningful cause, it can also make you feel better about yourself, further raising your confidence.

Challenge Yourself With New Situations

If you have low self-esteem when opportunities to grow appear, you may feel like you aren’t good enough or that you don’t deserve them. Maybe in the past, you’ve declined the opportunity to join an advanced study group, to meet up with some new people, or to take a trip to somewhere new. When you have low self-esteem, you limit yourself by sticking to “safe” activities and familiar routines. Ask yourself what the worst thing is that could happen if things don’t work out. If that is something you can handle, you might want to ask why you are avoiding this opportunity.

Unlock Your Hidden Potential

Many people struggle with their self-esteem and internal limiting beliefs. However, learning to understand yourself through self-discovery is the first step to making significant, long-lasting changes. Using self-help books, affirmation cards, and personal life coaches can assist you on your journey of self-discovery.

When you understand yourself and your motivations, you can build a life centered around your value system. When you are clear on what success and happiness mean to you, it becomes easier to ignore the expectations put onto you by others. When we base our goals and achievements on those that are important to others, even if we reach those goals, they may not satisfy us. Learning more about yourself gives you a firm foundation to build from. Having clarity means that you will gain the freedom to move toward goals and milestones that will ultimately make you feel strong and fulfilled.

Ready for positive changes?

Our personal development coaching programs give you the resources you need to raise self-esteem by understanding your potential and motivations.

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References

Conquer Anxiety and Speak Without Fear

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 13:46:18 GMT

Tony Shavers III • Aug 11, 2021

Are you hesitant to speak up for yourself, even when you have a valuable contribution to make to the conversation? Using simple and practical tools like positive affirmation cards , personal development, and positive self-talk can help you find your confidence and overcome your fears.

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How Fear of Speaking Can Impact Your Life

When you struggle to express your ideas, it can cause problems in your personal and work relationships.

Even if you have great ideas and don't speak up in meetings or work discussions, it is hard for others to acknowledge your contributions.

Not wanting to participate in public speaking events can stunt your professional growth and limit your forward career progress.

In personal relationships, not voicing your ideas, opinions, and thoughts can lead to miscommunications, a lack of co-operation, or not meeting your needs.

Why Am I Scared to Talk to People

Many people express a fear of public speaking or stage fright. Still, many people are hesitant to speak up for themselves, contribute their ideas, or voice their opinions in everyday conversations, meetings, and interactions. Why is this?

Our minds are naturally programmed to protect us from harm, but sometimes, like an overprotective parent, your mind can overestimate the consequences of speaking up. If you already have a negative view of your skills and abilities, this effect can be amplified.

Some other reasons you might not want to speak up might include:

Feeling like you don't know enough about the subject
You feel "less than" or like other people are more qualified to speak
Your opinion may be unpopular or not the same as the others in the group
You are afraid of looking foolish or messing up your words

What is different about people that have no problem speaking their mind? A few things.

They aren't afraid to make mistakes
They don't need to be right
They have a solid sense of self
They can skip past small mistakes

It isn't that people who speak up don't care about what other people think, but they are secure enough in themselves that they don't let the opinions of others sway their actions.

For some people, finding the self-confidence even to practice speaking and expressing themselves in front of others can be difficult. So how can you find motivation within yourself to get started?

How Not to Freak Out When Speaking

There are ways to overcome anxiety and become a confident speaker. You may ask yourself, "how do I stop being so nervous? or how can I speak confidently without fear?" Developing your self-esteem is a good place to start.

One way to overcome the fear of expressing yourself is to practice positive affirmations. Self-affirmation can gradually change your mindset to focus on positive outcomes rather than what could go wrong.

Positive affirmation is a tool you can use to develop your confidence and resiliency to put yourself out there, and practicing speaking will come more easily.

Imposter Syndrome Anxiety

Everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time in the morning. No one is born an expert. Just because it appears that someone has it all together doesn't mean they started that way. When you feel pressure for perfection, it can sabotage you. The truth is, very few good speakers began that way. Often, they got to that level by putting themselves out there, even when they did not feel fully prepared. You may see a polished speaker and think it is natural, but what you haven't seen is the rocky road they took to become one.

Overcoming Speaking Apprehension

For some people, even the anticipation of possibly being asked to speak can be daunting. If this applies to you, you may be unable to sleep the night before a presentation, and a job interview can have you pacing around the house practicing for days. So, how to calm nerves before a presentation or a job interview? How can I improve my speaking skills?

Adjust your Expectations

Your first few presentations may not be award-winning speeches. And you know what? That is okay. No one starts as a brilliantly polished speaker. If you ask experienced speakers how their first few presentations went, they will most likely point out many areas where they made mistakes or weren't happy with their performance, but the audience probably didn't notice their errors.

Even Experts Mess Up Sometimes

You may have noticed that notable celebrities make a mistake when speaking, give a little laugh about it (encouraging the audience to laugh with them), and then smoothly continue with the interview. Everyone makes minor mistakes, and no one will judge you for flubbing up a few lines. Accepting that you will make small mistakes, or even laughing at them, can take the pressure off.

Positive Affirmations

Begin to pay attention to your internal conversations. When you are in a cycle of negative thinking or self-talk, it can lead you to be visibly nervous or hesitant when you speak. However, it is possible to change this cycle. If you consistently replace negative thoughts with positive ones, positive thinking becomes a habit. Positive affirmation, the repetition of positive words, and language is one method that can help you to develop this type of positive thought pattern.

Body Language

You can communicate through your body as well as your voice. Your posture and non-verbal communication are more effective at demonstrating competence than whatever you might come out of your mouth. Some easy power poses for interviews are: to not slouch but to sit towards the edge of your chair, stand up straight, not to fidget, and occasionally smile and make eye contact.

How to Overcome Fear and Anxiety

Frequently, a hesitation in speaking up comes from a lack of self-confidence, anxiety, or shyness. You can have great ideas to contribute to a conversation, but it can be hard to share them with others if you are afraid to speak your mind.

Building up your self-assurance through positive affirmation can help you to develop positive thought patterns. When you begin to change your mindset, you feel more comfortable reaching out of your comfort zone to speak up. You can start to take on opportunities to speak that you would have let pass by before.

As you further build your confidence, you will start to have the courage to speak up more often, and each time you speak, you will feel less anxious, and speaking up will naturally become more effortless.

When you feel self-assured, you have the power to express your ideas, voice your opinions, and speak without fear.

If you're not contributing your ideas because you're afraid to speak up, Press Reset Affirmation can help you get over the anxiety of speaking so that your voice is heard.

If you're not contributing your ideas because you're afraid to speak up, Press Reset s elf-discovery cards can help you get over the anxiety of speaking so that your voice is heard.

References

Why Are We Scared of Public Speaking? , Psychology Today

Body Language Tips to Help You Ace the Job Interview , Forbes