Read this article published in Marie France magazine.

Work, sport, diet… Why not start by believing that you can achieve your goals? I dare you!

(article co-written with Stéphanie Torre)

Is believing in oneself and repeating it to oneself enough to guarantee business success? While enthusiasts of the Coué method are convinced, coaches using the concept of « feelings of personal efficacy » are more realistic. According to them, repeating a sentence out loud ten times in a row, three times a day, does not guarantee that it will be achieved. This is not to denigrate positive thinking, on the contrary. « When a person is confident in his or her ability to carry out an activity in order to achieve a goal, it is certain that he or she will engage in the action more easily and persevere despite the difficulties, » explains Jacques Lecomte, psychologist and doctor of psychology1. In other words: the more convinced we are of our abilities, the more competent we are! It’s enough to put a smile on the faces of all those who doubt themselves when it comes to changing certain habits. What’s more, cultivating a sense of self-efficacy is not as arduous as it might seem. Thanks to a series of small performances, observation of others, encouragement from loved ones and regulation of emotional reactions, anything is possible. Including rediscovering pleasure at work, improving organizational skills, reducing stress levels or taking control of your body. How do you get there? Follow the principles of this autosuggestion method… with scientifically proven results.

Rediscovering the pleasure of working

However much we may deplore it, our job is often what defines us in the eyes of society. That’s why it’s so important to feel good, efficient and fulfilled. However, the routine, pressure and fatigue that punctuate our professional lives don’t make it easy for us every day.

As a result, instead of going for it with gusto, we sometimes tend to get trapped in a vicious circle: we doubt our skills, we complain… A pity, when you remember the energy and enthusiasm you put into your job for so long.

What are the risks?

Beyond a general loss of motivation, the main threat is the real deterioration of skills.

What to do?

Cultivating an optimistic sense of self-efficacy enables you to develop a solid belief in your abilities. Thanks to it, you can take on challenges without feeling anxious, or overcome setbacks without collapsing. Tempting indeed, but how do you go about it? The key idea is to set yourself small challenges to breathe new life into yourself and convince yourself that you’re still a top employee. Rather than avoiding new responsibilities for fear of failing, « perceive them as a challenge that will enable you to improve your skills », advises Albert Bandura, the psychologist who invented the concept of self-efficacy. To put your heart back into your work, get moving again. Accept even the most modest assignments and proposals without flinching. Let your boss know that you’re ready to support him if he needs to delegate certain tasks. Get back into the swing of things by enlisting the help of your colleagues to get through difficult files, and by offering your services to participate in more interesting projects. Take advantage of internal mobility opportunities if your company encourages it… « The most important thing is to set yourself accessible and stimulating objectives, while avoiding placing yourself prematurely in tricky situations that would cause you to panic », explains Jacques Lecomte. By focusing on actions that have a good chance of success, you’ll gain in self-confidence and be able to face up to challenges gradually, with the certainty that you’ll be able to bounce back even if you fail.

Find a job

These days, there’s nothing more difficult than dealing with the « holes » in your CV when you’re looking for a job. Whether you’re unemployed or looking for a job after a voluntary career break, the pressure is the same at job interviews: you have to justify yourself. That’s where the discomfort comes in, which can make the presentation exercise even trickier. How can you « sell » yourself effectively when you’re afraid of being found wanting ?

What are the risks?

Staying on the sidelines. Because if you’re not convinced of your own potential, it’s hard to convince others.

What to do?

In an important scientific article, Jacques Lecomte reports on a study designed to compare the impact of various factors on re-employment: the employee’s age, performance at work, emotional state, etc. The results clearly show that feelings of effectiveness are a significant factor in subsequent re-employment. The results clearly show that feelings of effectiveness are a significant factor in subsequent re-employment. What does this mean? It means that the more confident a candidate is in his or her ability to find a job, the more likely he or she is to find job offers that interest him or her, and the more likely he or she is to attend interviews in a way that makes it easier to get the job. So there’s no need to hesitate: ask Pôle emploi for training courses designed to boost your self-confidence and/or experience. Another tip: ask friends and family to set up role-playing exercises to help you practice your job interview skills. Practicing will help you identify potential difficulties and find appropriate responses.

Reduce stress

In France, three out of four people say they suffer from stress occasionally or frequently. Too many apprehensions, repetitive tensions… Our bodies, like our psyches, are put to the test, and no one but us can decide that enough is enough. So what do you say? So say « stop ».

What are the risks?

Fatigue, irritability, immune and nutritional deficiencies, stomach ulcers, backache, gynecological problems, depression, accelerated aging…

What to do?

A number of studies have recently examined the link between feelings of efficacy and stress. First observation: individuals with a high sense of efficacy appear to be much less stressed than others. Because, instead of escaping reality by taking refuge in illusory solutions (drugs, alcohol…), « they all resort to problem-solving strategies designed to improve their situation », explains Jacques Lecomte. By restructuring their professional activity rather than enduring it. By developing their skills and knowledge so as not to feel out of their depth. Finally, to really limit the risk of burnout, another good tip is to learn to regulate your emotional reactions. So, when faced with an anxiety-provoking situation, avoid interpreting your physiological sensations (palpitations,

Trembling) as signs of vulnerability that can increase your stress level. Remember that your body is doing everything it can to help you perform better in the given situation. So, from « bad stress », the cause of paralysis, you’ll move on to « good stress », the source of motivation, concentration and responsiveness.

Taking care of yourself

Smoking kills. Overeating kills. Today, most health campaigns are based on… fear. Problem: « This type of strategy can have the opposite effect to that intended, » says Jacques Lecomte. People’s reactions depend to a large extent on their initial sense of efficacy. For example, a study of heavy smokers revealed that those who had succeeded in quitting had a higher sense of efficacy than others. And the observation would have been the same for diet or sport.

What are the risks?

Getting fatter and fatter, moving less and less… That’s what happens when you embark on a program or diet without being convinced that you’ll be able to achieve your goals.

What to do?

According to Albert Bandura, to be most effective, awareness-raising campaigns should be presented in such a way as to instill in people the certainty that they can change their lifestyle habits, and should teach them how to do so. Take inspiration from this: be convinced that the effort required is worthwhile. Yes, losing those ten kilos will help you feel your best. Yes, you’re capable of resuming physical activity to get back into shape. Skeptical? Studies have shown the impact of feelings of efficacy on the results obtained. Jacques Lecomte recounts an experiment in which two groups of subjects competed in a test of muscular strength. In a totally arbitrary manner, one of the groups was then told that it had won the competition. The result? In the second test, the supposedly more confident group actually performed better! Learn from them. To convince yourself that you can win your bet, set yourself sub-goals such as losing two kilos, running two laps of the stadium… To boost your motivation, also use « persuasion by others »: ask those around you to support you by expressing their confidence in your abilities. Last but not least, rely on « social learning »: it’s also by observing the actions of other people of the same age and sex that we learn the most and develop endurance in our efforts.