You've most likely asked yourself, "What's the secret to success?"
Professionals have spent countless hours figuring out how to succeed in their careers by researching industries, following mentors and mimicking their biggest role models. Stories of each successful celebrity, artist, entrepreneur or career professional out there are all different from each other but at the same time, they all have one thing in common. According to Pay Scale, there is one isolated key to success that stands out from the rest - that is their unwavering confidence.
Before Michael Jordan became a professional athlete, he recalled that being cut from his high school basketball team made him work harder than ever. "Harry Potter" author J.K Rowling was rejected several times by different publishers before it was finally picked up and became the best-selling franchise ever. These two, and more, had confidence that ended up in making them the successful people they are now known today.
How can you become confident?
1. Keep your eye on the prize - Use every mistake as a stepping stone. Do not let yourself get knocked out of the way by letting these mistakes influence you. These are just minor hiccups in your career. If you focus on the end goal, you'll eventually get it. Remember not to dwell on your mistakes as it will lead to self-doubt.
2. Use your failures as lessons - You can never appreciate success without failures. Find the lesson learned in every failure. Improve and move on. According to a Japanese proverb, "Fall seven times, stand up eight."
3. Think more positively and less critically - Don't beat yourself up about every thing that's going wrong. Stay positive and steer away from being a "Negative Nancy." Being negative will push people and opportunities away.
