Why Poor Self-Esteem Could Be Costing You BIG
Personal achievement guru Jim Rohn said, “Income seldom exceeds your personal development.”
As a business development strategist, it might surprise people how often I discuss the importance of personal growth. But it’s paramount to professional success – you can’t have one without the other!
So many entrepreneurs and business professionals become so ultra-focused on the bottom line that we ignore the most critical key to success – ourselves!
Your bottom line won’t flourish if you don’t approach all areas of your business with confidence.
Too many of the entrepreneurs I meet are held back by poor self-esteem. Self-esteem is impacted by poor physical health; negative life events like divorce or losing a job; relationship difficulties; and a basic sense of lack of control in your life.
Individuals who have had low-esteem for a long period of time view themselves as victims in a hostile world. In an effort to protect themselves, they avoid expressing or asserting themselves. In business, this can mean feeling reluctant to attend networking events, make sales calls, or ask friends or family for referrals. Fear of failure and rejection governs those with poor self-esteem.
The result? Entrepreneurs with poor self esteem inevitably miss out on the opportunities and experiences that can enrich their business and personal life. This leaves them feeling even more helpless, lowering their self-esteem even further. It’s a destructive – and unproductive – downward spiral.
Here’s the good news… If you struggle with poor self-esteem there are simple action steps you can take to break this cycle and set yourself up for success.
Train Yourself to Think Positively. Remind yourself regularly that despite your weaknesses you are an individual with unique traits and talents. Become aware of your negative self-talk. Whenever you tell yourself “I can’t”, “I’m a failure” or “Nobody likes me”, challenge these thoughts. Make three separate lists of your greatest strengths, personal and professional achievements, and the things you like most about yourself. Store them in your wallet or pocketbook. Whenever you experience a negative thought, pull out your lists and read a few items.
Dress for Success. Oftentimes individuals with poor self-confidence don’t take great pride in their personal appearance. The way you present yourself doesn’t only convey a message to others about you, it also impacts how you perceive yourself! Invest in clothing that makes you feel good about yourself. In addition to wearing professional, flattering attire, style your hair and keep your nails trimmed and/or manicured. A sharp dresser exudes professionalism and will help you carry yourself with confidence. Even if you’re working from home, get dressed in the morning just as you would if you were going to meet an important client.
Take Care of Yourself. In order to have a confident, healthy mindset in business and all other areas of your life, you need to take care of your physical well-being. When your health and well-being take a back-seat, every area of your life suffers. Make a conscious effort to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Skipping meals and then binge-eating will leave you depleted of energy. Plan ahead to eat three meals a day and carry healthy snacks with you when you’re on the run. Don’t watch television, drive or do work while you’re eating (this leads to overeating!).
Make exercise a regular part of your daily routine. Get some fresh air and going for a walk every day. This will not only help reduce stress and keep you active but also give you time to clear your head and collect your thoughts. Try to incorporate more intense exercise three times a week to energize you and give you feel-good endorphins.
Last but not least, ensure you’re getting sufficient sleep. When you skip out on sleep, your quality of your work suffers.
Create An Empowering Living Space. Your living and work spaces can impact your state of mind. Keep these spaces clean, organized and comfortable. Put items on display that remind you of your achievements. This can include diplomas, awards, trips you’ve been able to take, and the people you value in your life. It’s important to create a separate workspace for the sole purpose of conducting business. Don’t work at the kitchen table, on the sofa, or anywhere where you’ll be interrupted or distracted. Create a home office you can be proud of, complete with an organized desk, proper lighting and a comfortable seat with back support. This will help put you in a winner’s frame of mind.
Make Time for the Things You Love. Business entrepreneurs can become so consumed with business matters that they fail to make time for the things they enjoy. Make it a priority to do at least one non-work related thing you enjoy every day, whether it’s listening to your favorite music, painting, baking or calling an old friend. You should also make it a priority to spend quality planned time with your family or spouse. This may feel challenging at times, but it’s important for your well-being — and you deserve it!
Set an Achievable Goal. Identify a goal you can achieve, whether it’s trying a new yoga class or assembling that bookshelf that’s been sitting in the box for ages. These activities can help awaken new confidence within you that will empower you in other areas of your life.
Grow Through Giving. If you’re feeling down, one of the best ways to feel better is to do something nice for others. Of course, this can mean volunteering for a cause or non-profit that is close to your heart. But it can also be as simple as raking your elderly neighbor’s leaves or bringing soup to a friend who is feeling under the weather. You’ll be amazed at how fulfilling and empowering giving of yourself to others can be.
Turn to Your Support System. Share the challenges you’re facing and the insecurities you’re feeling with your closest friends and family. Ask for their advice and support. Most likely, they in turn will share with you some similar challenges they have faced. Knowing you have people who loves you in your corner will strengthen and encourage you. Spend more quality time with your friends and loved ones.
Another important part of your support system is your business coach. In addition to holding you accountable, they can relate to the struggles you’re facing on your journey and share strategies that will help you get back on track.
At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I’ve had the privilege to work with an incredible group of business entrepreneurs. Together, we have explored proven strategies and tools designed to help overcome self-doubt and create thriving legacy businesses.
Like each of my clients, you matter. You’re worthy. And you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.
Don’t let fear and self-doubt hold you back from achieving outstanding success.
Up Next: You’re Invited!
We invite our local community to visit us on September 21st from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the 1818 Club for a second WGC Atlanta Chapter meeting. Stay tuned to learn who our special guest speaker will be! Pre-registration for the event is $25.00. Click here to pre-register. If you are interested in being a sponsor, please contact celeste@thewomenofglobalchange.com.
We are also opening up several other chapters across the United States. I am honored to help launch the Toronto, Ontario Chapter in the next couple of months. Please visit our website!
At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I work one-on-one with business owners who are committed to developing themselves personally and professionally. I encourage my clients to attend networking events and get involved in volunteering opportunities to further their development as well as develop new leads and referral sources! My clients learn the value of serving in addition to the mindsets and strategies necessary to increase their sales and “Double Plus” their income.
On September 8th, I will be co-hosting a “Building A Legacy Business” workshop with my colleague Joan Williams designed to help business entrepreneurs grow their businesses this year.
To learn more about our workshop contact me at celeste@celestegiordano.com or click here to register today.
Enjoy these last days of summer!
Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “double-plus” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with almost 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.
To learn more about Celeste, click here.
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If I was living anywhere near Atlanta I would leap at the opportunity to be present. But thousands of miles away I can only urge others to take advantage of being with a committed to excellence, caring professional leader:
Celeste Giordano.
Positively, with warm wishes for a successful, joyous meeting.
Pauline Duncan-Thrasher
London Ontario Canada