As a leader, knowing that your efforts are being appreciated and recognized can be fulfilling. Genuine comments from colleagues and mentors can feel very rewarding, especially if you’re met with purely positive feedback. The words do not just boost one’s confidence, but it also validates one’s sense of self-worth. Despite this, it can also be frustrating and disappointing not to receive external validation, especially if you’re expecting one. This can be a big deal for some people and significantly affect their self-image. In this article, we will discuss the importance of freeing ourselves from being dependent on external validation, as mentioned in Randi Braun’s book Something Major: The New Playbook for Women at Work.
When it comes to untethering from external validation, one must first understand that every piece of information, good or bad, is just some form of feedback. Good feedback is transformative as it helps us develop our skills and talents. But even though it helps us grow, we must not entirely depend on getting external validation from other people. We shouldn’t associate our worth with other people’s feedback because other people’s opinions about us are something we can’t control, which would only lead to lowering our progress in life.
Letting go of external validation can be tricky. It is a lifelong process that one couldn’t accomplish in just a snap of a finger. Worry not because there are a few things you can do to untether from external validation. First, you must focus on your strengths, not just your weaknesses. Once you give more attention to the things you’re good at, criticisms from other people won’t bother you to the point that you’d only treat it as constructive criticism—an opportunity to improve yourself more. Be aware that other people’s opinions of you say more about their character than you. Once you have a strong self-concept, you won’t be affected by others’ perceptions of you. There’s a lot more to tackle, and you can read them all in the Something Major book!
Something Major: The New Playbook for Women at Work is a self-help book by certified executive coach Randi Braun, releases this March 1 under New Degree Press. The book offers stories for women leader’s out there that are written to empower women while keeping them engaged and entertained. If you want to learn more about untethering from external validation and other essential issues tackled in this book, make sure to grab your copy!
You can check out Something Major: The New Playbook for Women At Work on Amazon, releases this March 1 to rave reviews!
For more information about Randi Braun’s work, events, and background, you can visit her at Something Major Coaching website. Find her on Linkedin and Instagram.