How to feel ‘good enough’ while still trying to improve at work

Do you doubt yourself at work and worry that you’re not ‘good enough’?

Do those thoughts mean that you second-guess yourself, question your ability to do the job or worry about making mistakes and disappointing people? 

If so, you’re not alone! It’s one of the most common stories I hear from my clients.

And here’s what’s confusing them. How can they stop the feelings of fear and shame that come from the thought “I’m not good enough”, while also trying to grow and improve at work? At face value, they seem to be in conflict.  

The concern is, if we tell ourselves, “we ARE good enough”, we’ll suddenly stop asking for feedback or taking other action to increase our performance.  

So, we think we need to keep the mental beat-down going, in order to be successful.

I get it. I’ve been there. But let me offer you an alternative perspective.

“Good enough” is completely separate from your work product.

Your thoughts about being “good enough” are really thoughts about whether you’re worthy enough yet as a human being. That’s why they have such strong feelings of fear and shame attached to them. We make it personal.

So when I was a lawyer and missed something or made a mistake, I made it mean that there was something wrong with me. Rather than just making it mean… I made a mistake.

And was the inevitable beat-down from my brain useful? Did it help me be a better lawyer? No. Shame makes you hide. Fear makes you play small.

So, let me offer you this thought…

As a human being - you are already, and will always be, 100% worthy and “good enough”.

There is nothing that you can do at work that will impact that. Your employer has nothing relevant to say about whether you’re “good enough” as a human being.

That is totally separate from your work product. 

There will always be room to improve your work product. Your employer may have lots of great advice, feedback and experience that will help you improve your work product.

But none of that has anything to do with whether you’re “good enough”.

It could be true that you’re already “good enough” and that striving to improve your work product, is something that you do just because you want to.

Try that thought on for size.

I’d love to hear how you get along. If you want some personalised help with this, feel free to sign-up for a free Discovery Call with me by clicking THIS LINK.