Fake It Till You Make It!

Carol Jurgensen Sheets is a mental health therapist who also works as an executive and life coach. In a recent article she shared a wonderful concept that may shift the mindset of career changers and job seekers who are stuck in a rut trying to move forward towards a more satisfying career opportunity.

I meet many individuals who just don’t believe they have the power to change their career lot. Often they feel victimized and lack the self confidence to take a risk or seriously consider what they want out of a new career.

Sheets advocates for a technique called “fake it till you make it” – a self esteem builder that presupposes that you have the ability to take control of the situation, convey your needs, and make a decision. This paradigm shift helps to bypass self doubt and ignores the lack of confidence that paralyzes so many people.

The concept is simple – you make a decision and implement it with conviction, regardless of whether you think you are doing the right thing.  Sheets believes the technique works wonders if you “work it” and follow the implementation with conviction honestly.

She believes we all possess the knowledge to change any situation. The “fake it till you make it” exercise can help prove that you have the capabilities and all you need to do is practice until you prove it to yourself. Sheets also suggests these tactics to off-set the feelings of self doubt.

• Find supportive people who affirm your ideas.
• Use positive self talk to derail the negative tapes that play in your head.
• Find groups that support and encourage you to trust yourself.
• Practice the “fake it till you make it” technique until you convince yourself that you do indeed know what you are doing.

I agree with Sheets that we have the knowledge to change any situation including ultimate career satisfaction. But it takes a conscious effort to alter a situation to make it more palatable or work on a problem to alleviate issues. By faking it until the change becomes real, we give ourselves permission to solve these issues with the inherent wisdom we already possess.

Take some baby steps with this new technique and give yourself a safe opportunity to seek out change. You may start owning your decision making ability and re-discover your self confidence as you finally admit that you have had the ability to change all along.