Building Up Self-Confidence for a More Fulfilling Career in Travel Therapy

Gordon Ramsay once said that self-confidence is not the same as arrogance. To paraphrase, confidence is quiet and assertive while arrogance is insecure and, therefore, loud. People tend to mistake one concept for the other to disastrous consequences. Nothing is more attractive than self-confidence and people who have it tend to draw other people in. Meanwhile, arrogance—more often than not—turn people off.

Knowing the difference can spell the difference between a successful career in travel therapy and failure. Not that self-confidence is all you need. Obviously, you also need more. But having self-confidence is a great first step in ensuring a fulfilling career. It is therefore important to develop a healthy confidence in one’s self. Here are some tips:

Focus on Yourself from Within

There is a UCLA study that shows that people who spend more time on their appearance are actually less confident. They have more insecurities than people who don’t worry about their appearance so much. Self-confidence comes from within and therefore it’s vital that you focus on improving yourself from the inside out. Stop looking in every mirror you pass.

This is not to say that you should not worry about how you look. As a physical or occupational therapist you need to look your best when facing clients. But you don’t need to constantly look at yourself in the mirror all day long.

Stop Apologizing

There is a difference between saying you’re sorry for a genuine mistake that you made and constantly saying sorry for every little thing that go wrong, even when it’s not your fault. People who regularly say “I’m sorry” is less sure of themselves. It’s a sign of insecurity and therefore not a very attractive feature. If you want your co-workers and supervisors to respect you, be more confident in yourself and stop apologizing constantly.

Decide then Move On

No one likes making mistakes. And sometimes people tend to shy away from making a choice because they’re afraid of the potential outcome. In order to be more assertive and confident in yourself, you have to stop over-analyzing. Sometimes it’s healthier to make the hard decisions and move on. As long as your decisions aren’t rushed or uneducated, it’s good for your career as a travel therapist to be more decisive and sure of yourself. While we’re on the subject of making mistakes…

Don’t be Too Hard on Yourself

We’re sometimes too hard on ourselves. Learn to forgive yourself when you make mistakes because no one is perfect. Remember that excellence is not about giving yourself a hard time for your inadequacies, it’s bouncing back and getting better. Learn from your mistakes without punishing yourself.

Like Yourself and Assume Others Too

One of the best ways to make friends in every new assignment is to assume that you have something good to offer people, whether it’s your humor, your thoughtfulness, or just being an all-around okay person. The one thing that could keep you from bonding with new people is thinking that no one likes you. You’ve already chosen failure before you even began.

While you’re at it, learn to take a compliment. False humility is such a downer and people don’t appreciate it. But remember too that arrogance is also a turn-off. When someone praises you, accept it graciously. Don’t argue but also don’t bask in the compliment.