Sometimes it can be a struggle to feel as though we fit in. This feeling can pop up at any time. With family, with friends, and oftentimes, with co-workers. The worst part is, when this feeling does come up, it is often a rather uncomfortable one to navigate.
As uncomfortable as this feeling might be, we need to remember to stay true to ourselves. The best version of ourselves is just that… ourselves. It’s the version we know the best, and it’s what got us here in the first place. That in itself is pretty great!
So, whenever you start to feel insecure at work, try to think back on these three things:
You got the job.
This may seem kind of silly to say, but remember that if you’re working, you already got the job. You were hired because you’re you.
People are just as different as they are the same.
Just as much as you wonder how you can be more like the woman who speaks up a lot in meetings, or the person who cracks jokes with the boss, those people wonder how they can be more like you. Which leads us to the next point…
Embrace what makes you unique.
You are never going to be someone else. That might appear like a harsh statement, but it’s a beautiful thing. No one on this whole entire planet is exactly like you. No one in the 7 billion people we have on planet earth has the exact experience, qualifications, and personality traits that you have. The simple shift of focus to what you already have, rather than what you don’t, can do wonders for our success in the workplace.
In the quest to be someone else, you’ll soon find that you wasted a lot of time trying, just to end up right back where you started, as you. So believe us when we say, you will always end up where you’re supposed to be, just as long as you stay true to you.
Holly Kerr Editor – WIST