ARTICLES

Tackling perfectionism to make more progress and be less of a perfectionist: The fear of not achieving perfection is strong enough to prevent them from starting in the first place or, if they do manage to start, not getting things finished. And not finishing causes a confidence wobble, which starts the cycle of self-doubt and pushing for perfection again. But it is vital to understand that perfection drains your confidence.

Confidence isn’t fixed — it’s flexible and shaped by context, experience, and mindset. If it can be lost, it can be rebuilt. Confidence grows through action, self-awareness, and reframing fear. It’s not who you are, it’s how you choose to show up. And it’s always reclaimable.

Our confidence understandably grows when we perceive we have control over what is happening. Conversely, that confidence shrinks when we feel like things are happening beyond our control and, even worse, get ‘out of control’. We feel more confident when we are in control because we know what we are doing and what is expected. We know we have the knowledge/skills/resources required by the situation.

Wondering ‘what if’ isn’t a bad thing. In fact, using analysis of factors and outcomes helps us play through different aspects of a situation, find novel/better options and generate new insights. Asking ‘what if’ opens a door to possibilities. What’s the worst that can happen? What if you did make the wrong choice? It could happen, but you would deal with it because we are also hardwired to survive. And you’d have learned something you could use to make better future decision

Connect with and articulate your passion in a way that is authentic to you so you can be happy and productive in your career.

Do you warm up before you run? Stretch as you start a yoga session? Ever thought of doing that before an interview? If not, why not? It could give you the edge. Even with the most diligent preparations for content, about 80% of the time, clients hit their stride after 20-30 minutes, which is too late on the day to make a good impression. Warm up and be ready to GO with my top tips and practical actions.

Personal branding is essential for career growth, but many struggle to express their value and keep their CV and LinkedIn profiles current. But doing so is key to career success.

How do you know if you really want to leave your job? How deeply have you thought about this - and the practicalities? To truly understand what is fuelling your desire to leave and to stand a chance of making the right decision, there are steps you can take to put yourself in the best possible position - before you take the leap!

You don't have to be an expert. You can be a highly successful generalist. And it's perfectly normal to be interested in - and good at - lots of different things.

Make networking easier by knowing how to ask great questions and make someone feel interested in what you have to say.

Decisions can be hard because they are full of unknowns and risks. Often, we don’t know what we don’t know, and that can be nerve-wracking and hard to accept. But we can’t know everything. Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith or, to put it another way, jump and accept that we might fall…or land gracefully. We can choose to think positively.

How many of us are good at faking active listening whilst our brains rush to devise solutions we can offer as advice? Two hard but vital lessons for me in my career have been to stop my brain racing and listen and think about the best solution, not the first solution.

Why questions create space to explore our motivation, assumptions, reasons and purpose - and challenge accepted thinking.

There is a powerful correlation between mindfulness and building confidence, especially so in an ever-busier world where change is hitting us with terminal velocity and being heard is increasingly difficult. Slowing down and being more aware of your brain and emotions boosts your confidence.

How do you feed your concentration? We have different ways of working and there is more than one way to achieve a result. Understand how your brain works and work with, not against it.

Whilst we can be our own greatest critic, we can also be our greatest fan. Focusing on your strengths and recounting your successes boosts confidence and a stronger sense of self.

When you’re trying to be involved in everything, working excessively to try and clear that (unending) to-do list or be all things to all people, you will inevitably miss something. It can be hard to let go. But if you don't focus, you are diluting your impact, attention and energy.

Stress is a fact of life and being stressed, feeling stressed, is a choice. How we react, how we manage our mental health and how we choose our perspective are our choice - even if we feel like we have no control.

Perfect Presentations Tip 3 – The 4Ps covers the steps you need to take to develop your skills, build competence and confidence and deliver impactful presentations.

Perfect Presentations Tip 2 – 5 Steps to giving a hire-worthy presentation during an interview. Follow these clear steps and actions to make the experience easier and more impactful.