Real confidence is not about pretending to be someone you are not, or ‘faking it ‘till you make it.’
Real confidence is all about being self-aware of who you are, knowing what your strengths are, where you have gaps in your knowledge, and what skills you need to develop.
Where do you stand on the confidence scale? Are you over-confident or under-confident? Take the test below and find out.
QUESTION 1: If you were to describe your professional skills, you would say:
A: I am underemployed.
B: Things always go my way in the end.
C: I am comfortable with my skills and I have opportunities to move forward.
- I could use more training.
QUESTION 2: When you arrive at a party where you don’t know anyone, you think:
A: What should I do for people to notice me?
B: No one is paying attention to me.
C: I will see if I am in a mood to talk to someone.
D: Why is everyone looking at me?
QUESTION 3: How does your personal life make you feel right now?
A: Like Don Juan or Madonna, only sexier.
B: Very confident in your power.
C: Radiant and at peace.
D: Like you need some love.
QUESTION 4: When you finish a task singlehandedly, you:
A: Tell your boss about it.
B: Shout it from the rooftops so that everyone knows.
C: Build on your success.
D: Feel quietly pleased with yourself.
QUESTION 5: When a colleague has a good idea, you:
A: Don’t say anything – it’s their job to have good ideas.
B: Let them know that without your help they wouldn’t have gotten that idea.
C: Congratulate them and appreciate their contribution.
D: Shower them with compliments.
QUESTION 6: You think that a good boss is:
A: Shrewd and ambitious.
B: Winning and affable.
C: Fair and competent.
D: Reserved and discreet.
QUESTION 7: Before going to a job interview, you:
A: Trying to find some strings you can pull.
B: Go for it without a second thought.
C: Research the business and the position in question.
D: Practice your presentation several times.
QUESTION 8: You are redoing your CV. You:
A: Inflate your job descriptions in places.
B: Beef up your education levels and your work experience.
C: Check if there are some typos.
D: Forget to include details that are really important for the job.
QUESTION 9: When you look at yourself in a mirror, you think:
A: Good. No more, no less.
B: Fabulous. With a stunning smile to put Hollywood on fire.
C: Not bad at all.
D: Not bad, but could do better.
QUESTION 10: What do you do if you want to get promoted at work?
A: Invite the HR director for lunch.
B: Talk yourself up everywhere.
C: Apply for the on-job training.
D: Thinking if the time is right.
QUESTION 11: You haven’t heard from your best friend in two weeks. You:
A: Get a mutual friend to make sure they give you a call.
B: Tell yourself that they don’t deserve you.
C: Call them to see how they are doing.
D: Think that they must be mad at you.
ANSWERS:
MOSTLY A: You are blabbering too much.
You are a charmer with many good qualities. However, you are also an expert in pulling the wool over other people’s eyes and playing tricks on them because you want to make life easy for you.
The only catch is that you don’t really feel like yourself. You worry too much that people can see through your façade. But what if you’ve decided to spend all that time and energy into developing a more honest approach to your life?
Ask for help if you need it, and work for it to create the life you want.
MOSTLY B: You are overselling yourself.
You often feel that you are not good enough, so that’s why you make yourself the center of attention to make up for it.
You often worry about being exposed and you ask yourself: Am I the right person for the job? Can I do that? Do I have enough knowledge?
Try to stop overcompensating because it doesn’t do you any favor and it makes you look like a fraud. Be yourself and believe in your abilities. You’ll be surprised by what you can achieve.
MOSTLY C: You are self-aware.
You are aware of your strengths, talents, and weaknesses and you feel at peace with yourself and with others. You are a great listener and you express yourself with fairness and diplomacy. You know how to make all your experiences, good and bad, work for your advantage to improve yourself and your talents.
And with your skills, it would be a shame not to develop them further. Talents must grow, or otherwise, they will die.
Be curious and surprise yourself and others from time to time.
MOSTLY D: You doubt yourself very much.
You are a master of undervaluing yourself and talking down about yourself. Try to avoid any situation that stresses you out to make peace with yourself.
Talk about it, think about what you want from your life, and consider your skills. Work on the things that make you happy, your desires, your relationships, your joy, your beliefs, and your fears.
Be realistic and try to be more loving and kinder to yourself.
What result did you get?
