Do you believe in yourself? In your abilities? Whether you do or don’t, now is a good time for a self-assessment. As a matter of fact, it’s always a good time. Self-assessment is an ongoing process that requires being connected to your inner voice. Self-assessment means being your own counselor, developing your own views and cultivating the ability to look closely at where you are so you can think through your problems. Use the following action steps to effectively assess yourself.
1. Develop confidence
Confidence is the balancing act between pride and uncertainty, and it is a work in progress. But building confidence is not as simple as it sounds. The most successful people are those who can manage the contradictions of life; who are aware of but not constrained by their limitations. Insecurity disables us from conquering our inner demons and making something of our lives. Arrogance makes us come off as know-it-alls, which erodes our level of influence, and after a while, people will stop listening to us.
“To grow your confidence, it’s important to do an honest and accurate self-assessment of your abilities.”
-Travis Bradberry
2. Talk it out
Surround yourself with trusted friends and mentors who will be honest with you about what areas need improvement. Listen to them. Listen to yourself. This ability to simultaneously doubt and trust yourself is at the core of effective self-assessment. If you find yourself blocked at every turn—whether because of people above you or perhaps by some competitive situation—step back and regroup. When we encounter multiple failures, our nature is to blame circumstances or other people. But we also must step back and ask, could it be me? This is where the ability to have a cognitive discussion with yourself comes in, where you can disengage and look at the situation objectively. That perspective is critical to determining whether your actions are helping or hurting you.
3. Make your move
You can carefully plot your own success and evaluate your effectiveness as you go along, but at the end of the day you must:
- Get out there and play in traffic. You are never going to be totally trained or prepared.
- Meet people, develop relationships and swap best practices.
- Make things happen.
Lastly, trust your self-confidence and inner gyroscope to keep you on the right course.