Do you remember how tough it was to enter the workforce? Yeah, tough! We love this advice co-created by our newest blogger, Sheila Berry, Founder at Living Vicky and her social media intern, Danielle. It’s directed at the newest stars in our employee pool, millennials in the workforce, and it’s chock full of great insights and advice. Share it with a millennial you know! ~InPower Editors
Ever turn in something to a supervisor and then doubt your finished project is good enough? Don’t worry; we all have that same feeling, and more often than you think. Everyone has doubted themselves and the work they do at some point.
We have to stay motivated and keep our minds focused on our goals. In order to motivate ourselves, we must first understand why we doubt ourselves.
Sometimes we doubt our own smarts. Sometimes we’re not sure we put in enough time, attention and research. Sometimes we’re natural “worriers”. So how do we prevent ourselves from being doubtful about success?
Prepare, prepare, prepare! Don’t procrastinate – hit the ground running.
If you are concerned about the amount of time you’ll need to put in a work project, especially around competing priorities, articulate those concerns to your boss and offer time management solutions. Sometimes just talking about it out loud gives you a chance to see it is achievable!
A boss would rather you ask for guidance than deliver a poorly executed project – or worse yet – miss a deadline date.
Build relationships with peers and other colleagues. They will be happy to listen to you practice your presentation; edit what you’ve written; or just act as a sounding board for your ideas.
Diminish the negative!
People doubt the unknown all the time. What we don’t know and what we don’t understand turns into fear. Take 15 minutes before kicking off your work and make a list of what could possibly go wrong and then list out the solutions to those issues. For instance:
- Not enough time – chat with your boss about taking something else off your plate until this new priority is completed
- Unclear understanding of what is needed – it’s okay to ask “how do I know when I am done?”, or to ask for clarification around steps to take or other people to involve. Also be sure you’re clear on deadline dates. Offer to bring a draft to them well ahead of the final date to make sure you’re on the right track.
- You’ve never done this before – same as suggestion 2 – ask clarifying questions and offer drafts ahead of time for course correction
The best way to stay motivated is to believe in yourself. No matter what the odds are against you, believe in yourself. Develop these practices, and soon you will begin trusting that you can take on any situation and succeed!
Until next time, stay motivated Millennial Nation!
Originally on: Living Vicky
C0-Authored by: Danielle Hewitt – Living Vicky Social Media
Check out the resources in the InPower Coaching EQ at Work and Soft Skills Research Index.
