Reflection

Building Self-Trust

Picture this: you’ve just completed a big project. All the work (and stress) is over, and you can breathe a sigh of relief. Right?

So, how quickly do you start itching to know how others think it went?

Perhaps you’re a student constantly refreshing your email for your professor’s thoughts. Or maybe you’re in the workplace, compulsively checking Slack for comments from your boss. Do you ever find yourself anticipating criticism, trying to get ahead by guessing what flaws others will pick out?

This begs the question, did you ever stop to ask yourself how you thought it went?

How we assess our performance on things that matter to us can strongly impact our mental health and self-esteem, not to mention the progress of our work.

Today, I want to pull back the power from the process of self-evaluations and building self-trust. Even if you’re not in an environment where you get formal feedback or have to complete self-evaluations, the method I will share has something for you, too. This method helps you create space for self-reflection that serves the impact you want to make in the world without losing yourself in self-doubt and other people’s opinions.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

  • Why developing the ability to discern your own performance is a critical skill set

  • How self-assessment became so embedded in our work lives, and how the process has lost its meaning

  • Two simple tools to help you center your own voice when considering your performance


Learn more about Valerie Black:

Building Joyful Reflective Practices with Sara Lawson

Have you ever felt like your brain was being a real jerk?

Our inner worlds can be brutal. But it is possible to intentionally cultivate a gentler, more generative landscape that offers us strong roots to ground us so that we can stretch out into the world with courage and support.

Sara Lawson joined me to share her journey of silencing the harsh, unforgiving voices in her head. She also revealed the practices she adopted to create a kinder, gentler inner world, a testament to the power of intentional change.

Sara Lawson brings 20+ years of leadership experience to support organizations and individuals with ambitious dreams and meaningful goals. Sara is a consultant, facilitator, executive coach, and the creator of Gauge Leadership Lab. She particularly loves supporting leaders and teams working to foster a culture where each person has the opportunity to belong, contribute, and thrive.

Sara has worked with organizations in all sectors, from video game makers to state-wide early childhood programs, higher education to community radio, architectural firms, and organic farming incubators. Sara’s guidance offers leaders the tools and inspiration to address significant challenges, do their best work, make a meaningful difference, and find satisfaction.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

  • How Sara realized that tending to the state of her inner world was necessary and worthwhile to her professional roles

  • How she developed a practice and mindset of “scanning for what’s going well.”

  • The process Sara has developed for evaluating her work and projects that value her perceptions along with external feedback

  • The creative practice that helped Sara find and hone her voice

  • How Sara has learned to lower the bar for being “good” at drawing through her daily-ish practice

  • How she’s bringing more overt playfulness to her practices for herself and her clients post-COVID