Self-efficacy
- Self-efficacy is the belief that you are capable of successfully carrying out tasks.
- Whilst self-esteem relates to a global evaluation of your life, self-efficacy is how you feel about your ability in any given specific area.
- How we feel about our ability to do something has a dramatic effect on what we choose to do, how long we persist for and what we manage to achieve.
- High levels of self-efficacy help you get beyond short-term setbacks or ‘failure’ without losing faith in yourself.
- High self-efficacy boosts your well-being.
- To boost your self-efficacy, you should keep track of your achievements. Remember the Negativity Bias of the brain? This makes us focus on what we don’t do well. We need to take deliberate action to notice our successes.
- You should look back at past achievements. Humans get used to things very quickly (hedonic adaptation). It’s important to savor that which you’re proud of.
- To boost your sense of self-efficacy, you can also try adopting the Growth Mindset.
Growth Mindset:
People can have two types of mindsets: those with the Growth Mindset believe that their abilities can be developed and strengthened over time, whereas those with a Fixed Mindset believe they are born with certain abilities which are fixed and unchangeable.
- People with a Fixed Mindset often shy away from challenges and therefore stifle their growth.
- To cultivate a Growth Mindset, you must understand that everyone is imperfect and that any learning and growth requires mistakes made along the way. The Growth Mindset reframes challenges as opportunities to grow.
- To adopt the Growth Mindset, you also need to stop seeking the approval of others, enjoy the process of learning as much as the result and begin the use the phrase ‘not yet’ (e.g., I haven’t mastered this JUST YET, but I will!).
Which is a goal you haven’t reached yet?
“Yet” is a truly magical word. It reminds us that we might not have mastered the skills or reached our goal in the present moment, but with continual effort, learning and persistence we will indeed get there.
Inspired by
Lisa Avery