By Brendan Keegan 4 minute Read

Being confident in the workplace (and yes, a virtual conference call qualifies) is a fundamental building block for a long and successful career in most industries, but its easier said than done. Even for people who are blessed with natural confidence, there are plenty of work-related circumstances that can see it deteriorate.

A work environment thats competitive, a bad boss, potential downsizing, or finding yourself at odds with the values that your employer embodies or tolerates can all be sources of doubt and uncertainty that can trigger a confidence drop.

You can fix that by invoking the power of a single, very special technique: Just take a moment and remind yourself of your personal vision.

A personal vision is nothing complicated. Its a clear, concise articulation of what you believe is your purpose.

Some people seem to lead their whole lives with a built-in personal vision that theyve never questioned. You know, those people who become world-class experts at something because they never quit practicing it long enough to wonder if they were on the right path.

A lot of athletes, artists, and musicians come to mind, probably because they feature prominently in the collective social awareness, but it can apply to anyone. Elon Musk became one of the worlds most successful entrepreneurs, for example, by applying his personal vision across multiple industries and domains. Other people who want to be doctors, parents, or teachers, succeed at making those dreams their reality by keeping their personal vision close, often without even realizing it.

Dont worry, those people are the outliers. Most of us struggle with identifying a clear sense of purpose in our lives or careers, and that may be because were trying to find it instead of realizing that it must be created.

A personal vision isnt created in a vacuum, its an answer to a question. The first step in defining your vision is putting the question into actual words.

Theres not just one question to be asked, of course. There are many, and asking a number of them is likely to help you orient yourself in the landscape of what matters most to you. Some of the things that you can consider in formulating your queries are what impact you want to make, what kind of state you find desirable, and what type of person you aspire to be.

These are some examples of questions that may help you identify what you value and lead you toward your personal vision:

Asking these questionsand again, they dont have to be these exact onesmight not give you a clear picture of exactly what your next steps should be, but the answers will help shine a light on the things that matter to you most. This exercise of cultivating self-awareness will put you on the path to a well-defined vision. That might look something like this:

It doesnt really matter what your vision is, as long as its something you can break down into actionable steps and achievable short-term goals. Keeping it short will help you commit it to memory. Its also helpful to write down your vision and put it somewhere you see it often, for instance, on your desk, bathroom mirror, or refrigerator.

Achieving your personal vision will take dedication and hard work, like anything good in life. It requires taking the time to break it down into exact, actionable steps and then really committing to following those steps. Dont stress yourself out over them. Its okay to take a day off. And if you ever start to feel yourself losing focus, just take some time to remind yourself of your vision.

If youre going to use your personal vision to shore up confidence in the workplace or in other dynamic situations, it obviously must be something that gives you a sense of confidence. Heres where a little Catch-22 may come into play. For the anxious among us, even the prospect of committing to one vision may induce a downward spiral of self-doubt.

To solve this apparent paradox, you have to create your personal vision fearlessly and dont worry if it changes. Its entirely possible that your sense of purpose will evolve in response to where life takes you. However, that shouldnt stop you from committing to what you feel is valuable today. Throw yourself into it, believe in it, and become it.

And when youre feeling a bit unsure or unsteady in yourself or your career, just take a moment to focus and say: Right now, my personal vision is . . .

Read the original:
Do this one thing to instantly boost your confidence at work - Fast Company