Why It’s Important To Bet On Yourself
Most people want to achieve success in their careers, but they aren’t sure how to do it. For example, instead of asking for a promotion, most people believe they will get one if they put in enough work. According to Process.st, more than 40% of people won’t ask for a raise. Unfortunately, many managers don’t give promotions without prompting. When you bet on yourself, you believe you are in control and capable of achieving your personal and professional goals.
Our CEO and Founder, Jessica Chen, recently hosted a Soulcast Media | LIVE event on LinkedIn, where she interviewed Author, Speaker, and Podcaster, Laurie Ruettimann.
They shared tips and personal stories about why it is so important to bet on yourself.
This Soulcast Media | LIVE event is brought to you by our amazing sponsors at Sabobatage.
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How To Bet On Yourself
During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Laurie shared several things you can do to bet on yourself. Her book talks in-depth about how you can take better risks and learn how to communicate with yourself to lead the life you’ve always wanted.
1. Your Focus
If you want to learn how to bet on yourself, you need to really think about what you are focusing on. During the Souclast Media | LIVE, Laurie emphasized how focusing on yourself, in the right way, will help you identify what it is you want to do and how you can get there.
Consider the following three steps Laurie outlined:
- Self-Leadership – Self-leadership is ultimately self-accountability. You have to be accountable for your actions and decisions. For example, you need to get additional certification to get a promotion. It is only up to you whether or not you take steps to get the certification. You are responsible for signing up for the classes, completing your work, and notifying your company you’ve completed the courses. When you practice self-leadership, you are taking control of your career. This is betting on yourself.
- Your Well-Being – Focusing on your well-being means taking steps to improve your physical, mental, and emotional health. During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Laurie shared a story about how she was so stressed out at work that she threw her back out at 29. She was not taking care of her well-being. When you focus on taking care of your well-being, you can make better decisions about your current and future situations.
- Continuous Learning – If you aren’t learning, you aren’t thriving, and if you aren’t thriving, you’re just surviving, which will not get you where you want to be. You always need to be learning. This doesn’t mean you need to be enrolled in a class, but you need to seek out ways you can better yourself actively. For example, if you are a stock market analyst, you can subscribe to newsletters about your career. Find thought leaders in your industry and see what information they are offering. When you actively seek out learning opportunities, your mind opens to possibilities.
When you focus on self-leadership, well-being, and continuous learning, you take back control of your career and life.
2. Communication
During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Jessica, and Laurie talked about how communication is key to learning how to bet on yourself.
People can’t figure out who they are or what they want to do with their lives because they can’t effectively communicate with themselves or other people. – Laurie Ruettimann
You have to be able to effectively communicate with yourself to bet on yourself. Consider the following:
- Small Moments – Communicating in the small moments will prepare you for communication in the big moments. For example, sharing your opinion during a meeting will help prepare you for leading a meeting.
- Tailor Your Message – During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Jessica emphasized how tailoring your message can help you be a more effective communicator. For example, one way to tailor your message is to consider your audience. Are you speaking to your superiors, colleagues, or those who are more junior than you? The words you choose and the way you say your message will largely depend on your audience. Tailoring your message will ensure it has maximum impact.
- Clear + Concise – Effective communication needs to be clear and concise. For example, if you have an issue with people not showing up to your meetings on time, you can simply say, “The meeting begins at 1 pm. Anyone late will not be admitted.” This message is clear, concise, and effective.
Effective communication will help you learn how to bet on yourself. The more you can clearly communicate with yourself and others, the more career success you will find.
3. Advocating For Yourself
Betting on yourself means you will have to be your own advocate. No one else cares more about your career than you do. You will have to communicate your boundaries and expectations with others.
Consider the following:
- Boundaries – Advocating for yourself means setting clear boundaries for others and yourself. For example, you can set a clear boundary with yourself by not working outside of work hours. This will help you focus on your well-being. Another way to set boundaries is to communicate with your team the hours you are available for meetings. Just like a college professor, having “office hours” will help your team know when they can come to you with any issues. When you set up clear boundaries, you take control of your time.
- Expectations – Setting clear expectations will help you advocate for yourself. For example, as a manager, when your team knows exactly what you expect, they are much more likely to follow through. You can also set expectations for yourself. For example, you can give yourself the expectation to spend an hour each morning working out. You and your team will rise to the occasion when you set clear expectations.
- Showcasing Strengths – Advocating for yourself also includes showcasing your strength. This means making your strengths visible. To do this, you have to be an effective communicator. For example, when you are asking for a promotion, you need to be able to showcase your strengths. You can say something like, “I increased sales by 20% last quarter, which is 5% higher than any other sales director in the company.” Your strengths have value, and you need to be able to showcase them when necessary.
When you advocate for yourself, you show yourself and others the value of your time.
In the end, it is so essential for you to bet on yourself. No one else cares more about your career than you do. Taking steps to focus on the right things, effective communication, and advocating for yourself, will keep you betting on yourself and your ability to control your own career.
If you want to see the full LIVE version of Jessica and Laurie’s conversation, check out Jessica’s Youtube Channel.
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