Do you feel confident in new ventures?

For many, confidence is hit or miss.

And it can really be a tricky target when in a phase of growth. That’s what my client, Dani, experienced when she was asked to consider moving into a Director role in her work. 

Dani’s been wanting to grow as a leader and to contribute to her company in new ways, but she’s also felt crushing fear.

In a recent meeting, she feared that she didn't know what she was doing, that others were able to think faster, and that she could make big mistakes that could even get her fired. 

Her confidence sank and she became completely overwhelmed, only adding to her fear that she wasn’t capable of doing the role. This cycle of fear, stress, overwhelm and back to fear seemed like a trap she couldn’t escape. 

We shifted it, though. 

Dani and I did an exercise aimed at slowing the momentum of her fearful thoughts and feelings, and helping her to access an empowered mindset. 

I asked Dani to imagine herself as a seasoned Director, perhaps having been in the role for five plus years, having even mentored others who are new to Director roles.

When she imagined being a seasoned Director, her fears of not knowing what she was doing and making big mistakes faded, allowing her to experience the feeling of confidence as a Director.

Then, I asked her to imagine preparing for her upcoming meeting and whether she wanted to prepare differently as a seasoned Director. 

Dani’s mind seemed clear and her thoughts became organized. 

“Everything looks differently from this perspective,” she said, “I was getting so caught up in the details that I couldn’t see the bigger picture, but when I look at this through the eyes of a seasoned Director, I can strategize better, see where we want to go and how I want to contribute.” 

She was practicing an empowered mindset and accessing her confidence while growing into the Director role. 

If you’re in a growth phase, there’s a chance that your confidence may feel shaky or like a target you’re struggling to hit, but you can use the same process Dani did to shift to an empowered mindset and access confidence. 

Here’s how: 

First - Imagine yourself already being a Pro in the area where you want to grow. Close your eyes and imagine yourself with the experience under your belt, the lessons learned, the advice you would give others. Notice how it feels to be a seasoned Pro in this area. 

Next - See the situation through your new eyes. Now that you can imagine yourself being a Pro in this area, would you approach any situation surrounding this (role, skill, etc) differently? If so, how? 

Finally - Practice stepping into the mindset of the Pro. As you practice stepping into the mindset of the Pro, you’re practicing seeing the situation with less fear, anxiety, and stress and with more confidence. 

Practicing these mindset shifts doesn’t mean that you won’t still make mistakes as you grow, and that’s a good thing. Mistakes are lessons intended to help you grow and feel more confident.