Have you ever had that feeling in your stomach when you start a new job? You know, that feeling of uncertainty or lack of confidence that you may not meet the expectations of your boss, manager, colleagues or even yourself?

Well, I have and trust me we have all been there. In fact one time when I was 17, I had so much performance anxiety (literally… it was a roller-skating waitress job and although I could skate I had never waited tables), I almost lost my breakfast.

When you have worked at a variety of companies like me (I have been working since I was 15), you grow accustomed to the anticipation that you need to “prove yourself” when you start a new job, move to a different department, get a promotion, or even work under a new boss or management.

We all want to succeed and be confident in our work and respective jobs. But the truth is it takes time to build that confidence in ourselves and in the eyes of those around us.

In fact, most of us wish to move up in our field/company, make an impact, and perhaps be viewed as “irreplaceable.” How can we get passed our feelings of uncertainty and lack of self-confidence so we can get out of our own way and work to (and above) the potential of success others already realized in us to begin with?

For all this to happen we need have a confidence in our own abilities, and we must enjoy the work we do to become successful. According to the experts all over the world security is obtained through confidence and security leads to positive emotions, which eventually leads to higher levels of job performance. Ultimately, this leads to job promotion(s) and the success.

I want to share four ways to improve confidence in the work we do and help you to succeed in the workplace.

4 ways to boost confidence and achieve success at work

Prepare – Prepare – Prepare

First and foremost we should prepare beforehand. This will be different for everyone. Things like preparing our attire the night before, getting a good night sleep, setting up our workspace so we are comfortable and efficient. Anything you need to make sure you eliminate small details that could lead to stress, and that may frazzle you and make you appear less than confident.

Also, one thing I do that I began implementing in my 30’s that makes me appear more organized than I actually am is, I have a daily check-in and daily check-out list. My boss and mentor (Chalene Johnson who I have mentioned countless times got us into this amazing habit). This is a document I keep on my work desktop and open first thing in the morning, use throughout the day, and then update at the end of each work day. An added bonus, it allows me to sleep better, knowing I don’t have to think about remembering work tasks for the next day.

This checklist is an organized list of long-term and short-term objectives and goals (work only) that contains tasks required to complete each goal. In addition, I have a space up top for urgent tasks and a list of daily/weekly objectives that rarely ever change. This checklist has been a lifesaver when I am overwhelmed by the minutia of tasks required of me. Bonus: It allows me the extra time I need for brainstorming and developing new and improved processes and ideas in the work place. All of which helps you gain and appear confident in the eyes of others.

Focus on your strengths!

Most of our lives we have been taught to work on our weaknesses. Forget this notion. Focus on your strengths. Building self-confidence comes from developing and achieving the higher and higher levels of success in the things you are good at and passionate about. Don’t worry, if you are focusing and growing your strengths and become an expert in them, people will not be focusing on your weaknesses. We all have a weakness or four! In fact, I bet when you think of the following successful individuals it’s not their weaknesses that come to mind: Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King, Jr., Richard Branson, Gandhi. All of these individuals spent their time focusing on the thing(s) they were great at and passionate about. Most likely your strengths were the reasons you were hired or promoted to begin with.

Seek feedback

Ask for feedback from supervisors and any other people of concern. This feedback helps us to improve our shortcomings that might have been holding us back and eventually acts as a confidence booster, which improves work performances.

The key is in how you ask for feedback. Don’t simply ask, “So, how am I doing?” or “How did I do on [insert project or task here]?” This actually makes you appear unsure of or lacking self-confidence. Phrasing, approach, and tone, if it is a face-to-face conversation are key here. Approach feedback requests in a proactive manner; as if you know you did a great job, but actually would like to do more/better next time, and you would really value their work ethic and appreciate their thoughts and/or feedback. Give one or two examples of what you think you would do additionally or differently next time, and have that person comment on your initiative.

Take calculated risks

Most of us prefer to act according to our strengths, but from time to time we should not hesitate to take up new challenges. We may never know our capabilities if we don’t work out of our comfort zone. Working out of our comfort zone builds confidence, which helps us to move up the ladder in our job and life.

Try to apply any of the above mentioned points to gain confidence in your respective job and in life.