From a young age, we are conditioned to seek external validation through grades, accolades, and praise. This continues into our professional lives with performance reviews and feedback from bosses. While curiosity and self-reflection are essential for growth, linking our self-worth to external validation can lead to significant emotional distress and debunk progress. It's important to ensure self-worth comes from within. It should be an internal sense of knowing you’re talented and worthy of love and belonging, regardless of external feedback or events. By understanding this, we can prevent ourselves from spiraling into negativity when faced with criticism or setbacks at work.

This week I share a story about Sarah, an executive who experienced a dramatic emotional journey at work. She was a high achiever recruited by a top tech company and faced a significant setback when her first major campaign failed. Despite external factors beyond her control, she internalized the failure, leading to a severe drop in confidence and self-worth. Through coaching, Sarah realized her self-worth was too closely tied to her job performance. By unraveling her sense of worth from her career and developing practices to maintain a positive self-view, she not only recovered but also thrived, mentoring others on the importance of separating self-worth from job performance.

Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast

How can I separate my self-worth from my job performance?
What are the dangers of tying self-worth to external validation at work?
What practical steps can I take to maintain a healthy sense of self-worth regardless of my professional achievements?

https://www.fastcompany.com/90974474/the-psychological-pitfalls-of-tying-self-worth-and-happiness-to-performance

Free values assessment: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/555271/111813391951070229/share

https://swim-against.com

When Work Defines Your Worth

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