In today’s society, it’s easy to underestimate our own worth. We are constantly bombarded with messages that tell us we’re not good enough, and that we need to do more, be more, and have more. It’s no wonder that so many of us end up feeling like we’re not worthy of success or happiness. If you’re tired of feeling like you’re not good enough, it’s time to take action. It’s time to know your value.
Knowing your worth is essential for a number of reasons. When you know your worth you are able to set healthy boundaries with others. You are able to say “no” to the things that don’t serve you and “yes” to the things that do. As a business owner, this is critical. Because if you don’t have the confidence to say no and charge what you’re worth you’ll end up working for free or selling yourself short. Last, but not least, when you know your worth, you’re willing and able to take care of yourself. If you give yourself the love and attention you deserve you can better serve others.
So how do you go about knowing your worth?
In this blog post, we’ll explore how to evaluate your value as a business owner, how to recognize your commitment and talent, and how to charge what you are worth. All that comes after we discuss how to build self-esteem through transforming negative self-talk and using positive affirmations and other methods so that you can run your business even better.
Continue reading for WCE’s tips and tools to navigate and extinguish the self-doubt that is brewing inside of your mind and help with your self-esteem.
Our 3 tips for gaining self-esteem and knowing your true worth are:
- Become Aware of Your Self-Doubt and Crush it
We all have self-doubt, but for many of us, it’s something we’re not even aware of. To become aware of your self-doubt you need to start paying attention to your thoughts. The exercise we want you to do is whenever you have a thought that starts with “I can’t,” “I’m not good enough,” or “I don’t deserve,” write it down. Once you’ve become aware of your self-doubt, it’s time to start challenging it. For each self-doubtful thought, you have we challenge you to write down a counterthought. For example, if you have the thought, “I can’t do (blank)” write down, “I can do (blank).” Remove the negative thoughts and mindset and replace them with a positive, growth mindset. The more you challenge your self-doubt, the less power it will have over you.
2. Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment and not worrying about the past or the future. This awareness arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and without judgment. When we are mindful, we are not just aware of our surroundings, but we are also aware of our own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Mindfulness allows us to see things as they are, rather than how we think they should be.
Mindfulness can be practiced at any moment, whether we are doing something mundane like washing the dishes or something that we enjoy, like taking a walk in nature. It is about being present with whatever we are doing and accepting it for what it is. When we are mindful, we can focus on each task that is at hand without being distracted by what was in the past or what is to come in the future. Seems too good to be true and out of reach? Not so much. The best way to practice mindfulness is to make a to-do list for your day. Set your day up by each hour and the tasks that you will do in each time slot. All you need to do is just focus on the task that is written down. If you write down that you are answering emails from 9am-9:30am that is all you need to be doing during that timeframe. Try not to get distracted by things on your desktop or notifications and really dive deep into the tasks that are written down. If you finish early, either take a break or start the next task a bit early! WCE has another great article similar to this topic here:
3. Gratitude Journaling
Gratitude Journaling is a great way to channel the reasons why you do what you do. Sometimes we can get lost in the mundane hustle and bustle of every day and we forget why we are even doing what we do. Consistently journaling and documenting why we are grateful for what we have will create a spark of confidence to do even more! WCE has created in the past a template for a gratitude journal you can download for free here:
Once you start getting into the positive mindset you can then start analyzing your actual worth as a business owner. Please make sure you are in a positive mindset when you do this next activity. If you are in a negative space or feeling like you are not worthy you will underestimate yourself and sell yourself short. You won’t price yourself accordingly and in turn, will not be able to sustain the lifestyle you deserve. You must understand that you are good enough. You are qualified. And you deserve to go after your dreams.
Once you are ready, ask yourself the questions below to help figure out your value as a business owner to determine what you should be charging:
- How long did it take you to become proficient at what you do?
- What did it cost you?
- What did you have to give up while training/learning/studying?
- How long have you been doing what you do?
- How do you rate your skills amongst your competition?
- What problem(s) do you solve?
- What would someone need to do to solve that problem on their own?
- How much does it cost you to provide your product or service?
- What equipment do you need to perform your job?
- Can anyone do the work you do? What does it take to do your work?
- What do you feel you should get paid per hour?
- How many hours does it take you to finish a job for a client?
These questions should enlighten you on how much time and energy you have put into being the business owner that you are today. The last two questions are the most important. How much do you feel you deserve? Honor yourself. Figure out how much you want to be paid per hour, figure out the cost it takes to run your business per client, and how long it takes to finish a job per client then price your service or product based on that. Most of the time we don’t charge enough because we are scared of what people will think or say. But the reality is, if you’re providing value, people will be happy to pay what you’re worth. Once you finish your pricing make sure to revisit this topic often in your business. You can’t forget to adjust your prices as your business grows. As you gain more experience and expertise, your prices should reflect that. You should be revisiting pricing at least once a year.
When you start valuing yourself highly, you’ll notice a number of benefits in your life. You’ll be able to set boundaries with others and you won’t allow others to take advantage of you. You’ll be able to charge what you’re worth. This means you’ll be able to make a living doing what you love. And with that, you will be able to take care of yourself and give yourself the love and attention you deserve. Knowing your worth is absolutely essential for reaching personal and business goals.
We sure hope this helped you get one step closer to streamlining your business. Please check out more of WCE’s Small Business Resources, WCE’s Upcoming Events, and don’t forget to join WCE’s Private Facebook Group to find your community of fellow women entrepreneurs.
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Our goal here at WCE is to help you find ways to make your business life easier! If you have any questions please contact us at connect@wearewce.com. And remember WCE always has your back!
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