Boosting your confidence Exercise 3

Confidence Boosting Exercise – Success timeline

What is this exercise?

This is a practical confidence boosting exercise for you to use to build up a view of your success and achievements, looking at the part you played, the strengths you used and celebrating your successes. Make sure you’ve completed exercise 1 and exercise 2 to help you with this exercise in building a success timeline.

Why is this important?

If you experience Imposter Syndrome, you may find it hard to accept the positive role you played in your successes. You’re more likely to put any wins down to luck, being in the right place at the right time or it being easy, that any one could have done it. If any of this feels familiar, it’s time to take a step back and look at your achievements with a bit more space and a more objective lens.

Remember, you are safe to celebrate yourself. You are safe to succeed.

If you want to go deeper and have more support building your confidence levels, coaching is an excellent way to do this. Look for coaches who have undergone reputable training and are linked with one of the main coaching bodies: the ICF, the EMCC or the AC, or get in touch with me for an intro coffee to explore working together. I’m also always happy to suggest coaches in my network! [email protected] www.katemaxwellcoach.com

And don’t forget that you can call our 24/7 Film & TV Support Line on 0800 054 0000

Confidence boosting Exercise 3:

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1. How to build a success timeline

Grab a piece of paper (the bigger the better!) and something to write with.

Draw a timeline of your career.

You can also include any education or studies if that feels appropriate to you.

2. Listing your successes

Now, step through your timeline and mark down all the success you have experienced.

It doesn’t matter how big, or how small – If it felt like a win, if you felt proud then put it on the timeline. Some suggestions include:

The jobs you’ve had, including any promotions, new opportunities or changes in career path
Any training, learning experiences or qualifications
Remember your personal successes as well. These might involve family, supporting others in your life, your hobbies or voluntary work alongside your working life
Ask yourself – What big decisions did I make? And what risks, if any, did I take?
Finally, what difficult times did you overcome?

Most importantly, focus on what feels successful to you, those things may not look like traditional success. Highlight your peak moments, your proud moments, and times of growth.

3. Taking a step back

Now take a step back, take a breather and hydrate.

Look at your timeline from a distance – what do you notice?

4. How to take ownership of your strengths an accomplishments

Think about what you did, and what strengths you displayed to make those things happen.

What qualities were on show?
In what way were you an active part of your success?

If you are drawn to the excuse of ‘luck’ or it was ‘easy, anyone could do it’, really challenge yourself and ask:

Was it luck?
What did you do to ‘put yourself in luck’s way’?
In what ways were you an active part of that success?
Was it easy?
What made it easy for you?
What natural capacities were you using to succeed with ease?

For each success on your timeline go through Step Four and take ownership of your success.

Conclusion

You did that. It is uniquely yours.

Next Steps

Spend time thinking about your unique combination of strengths and qualities that allowed you to succeed, to take the risk, to offer support, to get that qualification, to go the extra mile and to get through the hard time.

Because it’s not luck, I promise you.

And if it was easy that doesn’t mean that anyone could do it, it means you could do it, and it felt easy because it’s easy for you.

Once you’ve finished this exercise, use the techniques in the exercise on Internal Validation to really absorb what this means about you as a person to really feed your confidence and self-belief.

If you find this process difficult, or are experiencing any kind of resistance, first know that it’s normal. You may be experiencing stories about arrogance or vanity that are coming between you and owning your achievements. You may feel deep discomfort. Sit with it. Show it kindness. Ask that part of yourself what it needs to feel safe to be with your achievements.