By Laura Tirello
4 May 2011

I met with a new client this week. Though she was new to me, her story was a familiar one that I had heard from many clients. She came to me regarding a lack of confidence in the workplace. She wanted to be more assertive and play a bigger role, but was crippled by feelings of indecision and self-doubt. When I asked her why she didn’t assert herself more in the workplace she said she simply didn’t know enough. In my work with clients I have found that this is not true 99% of the time.

When I asked about her qualifications she proceeded to tell me about two very impressive degrees along with a job at a preeminent national medical agency. She did in fact “know enough”; but she didn’t believe it.

That’s the funny thing about the letters after your name and the allure of working at a prestigious organization. They mean absolutely nothing if you don’t believe in yourself, your abilities, and what you offer to the world.

The truth is no one is going to tell you that you are good enough and know enough. It’s up to you.

So how do you do that?

1) Examine the beliefs behind your indecision. 2) Find tons of evidence about who you are at your core that proves that you are good enough. 3) Look at all of your ideas and accomplishments from where you would like to be (i.e. a place of confidence). 4) Recognize that you know enough to move forward right now.

When the self-doubt appears, find a mantra. Before walking into a situation or picking up the phone, connect with what you are feeling. Meet the self-doubt with a phrase that empowers you. By repeating this phrase over time you will be able to break past the self-doubt and just do it. You will be changing the message coming from your mind, which is a large step in having the confidence to move forward.

Laura Tirello is a Career and Life Coach. Her company, Core Life Design, works with people who are successful, but not satisfied, and are ready to reinvent themselves in the workplace and beyond. Get a copy of my *free* special report: “Career Gridlock: 4 Ways to Get Unstuck”. Visit corelifedesign.com for more information. Laura can be contacted at Laura@corelifedesign.com