When we talk about self-esteem, we focus on one aspect of it. Confidence. However, when you properly look at all the areas that build up self-esteem, you must nurture elements like identity and a sense of belonging. There’s also another crucial element known as competence. However, just seeing the word competence feels pretty loaded.
To make the word feel less terrifying and less like you are being judged. I will look at competence, why it’s needed in self-esteem and how to raise that feeling.
🌐 WeShopit International Marketplace Cash or Points - We.Shop.it Marketplace
What is competence?
When we think of competence, we know it means to do something efficiently or with success. And so, when we hear the word on its own, we get worried because we all naturally feel like we’re not that successful. Or feel like we’re not good at anything.
Plus, it’s a big word for something straightforward. And just seeing it on a page terrifies us as it makes something seem more significant than it is.
Plus, sometimes, we confuse competence with intelligence. And so, because we start worrying we aren’t competent, we assume we aren’t intelligent, which makes us feel less confident.
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes competency will overlap with intelligence, but sometimes it isn’t all there is to it.
Why is it a crucial aspect of good self-esteem?
You’ve now read two paragraphs of this article and are still wondering why competence is such a crucial foundation for self-esteem.
Competency is about how we succeed at something. It’s present in every task we have, whether in the workplace or at home.
It’s there when we’re at school and trying to solve some algebra; how well you do shows how competent you are at algebra.
Managing to communicate with a team shows how competent you are at keeping things together and working with others.
When we don’t succeed at something, we feel annoyed! And if we don’t learn how to do it quickly, we lose confidence and are more likely to quit whatever we’re trying to improve on in a couple of months.
It is why so many people who try to get into art stop after a couple of months. Because they don’t like being competent at some processes, it can take years to get right!
But it is essential as those successes give us confidence, and confidence raises self-esteem. But even in those moments where we aren’t as competent, we have to rely on others and build relationships and trust them. In short, we find a sense of belonging and improve on other skills without realising it.
Competency is an integral part of self-esteem in all its forms because it factors into the other parts, from identity, confidence, and sense of belonging. Without it, our belief in those four areas isn’t as strong and breaks much more quickly!
🌐 Your Mobile Digital Loyalty Service | www.pointsbank.club
How do we feel more competent?
It’s all well and good for me to be ranting on about competence and its importance to self-esteem. But what do you do if you don’t feel competent? How do you raise that kind of feeling if it’s about success?
Treat every new challenge as an opportunity.
We will be good at some things and bad at others. When a new task comes along, see it as a unique moment to reaffirm how good you are at something. Or use it as a chance to improve at something you are bad at. Or learn new ways to make it easier on yourself.
And if it goes wrong, don’t beat yourself up over it. Learn from it and try to work out ways to be better next time.
Work with others
At times, we struggle with certain skills because the teaching methods we've encountered don't suit our cognitive style. Seek out a friend or someone online who can provide a clearer explanation or approach that resonates with you.
For example, you get stuck on a computer game level, go to an online forum, and get tips from other players. Want to get better at crochet? Get your grandma to help. Or go to a local library group to help, or join a Facebook group to help.
Not only will these people make it easier for you to understand. But you’ll also find other people with shared interests and have more friends to talk to.
Keep learning
Competence is about learning new things and taking in that information. One of the best things you can do is keep learning something because you want to. It doesn’t have to be monetisation-based. Want to learn how to make a comic book? Find that tutorial on YouTube or Skillshare. Take a class online.
In short, keep learning and using tech to help.
Hopefully, this will help you feel more adept in your levels of competence! And soon you should feel your self-esteem rising.
Share, leave a comment, and tell us what you think. Plus, get rewarded by leaving a video review.
Discover how you can get articles like these for your business here!