SELF-EFFICACY!

Self-efficacy is the belief that one can master a situation and produce positive outcomes.

More about self-efficacy…

 Related to a number of positive developments in people’s lives

- Solving problems

- Becoming more sociable

- Initiating a diet or exercise program and maintaining it

- Quitting smoking

 Influences people in trying to develop healthy habits and be mentally healthy

- Knowing how much effort to spend in coping with stress

- How long they persist in the face of obstacles

- Recognizing how much stress one experiences

 Related to whether people initiate psychotherapy to deal with problems; whether to succeed or
not

 Helps people in unsatisfactory situations by encouraging them to believe that they can succeed

Self-efficacy is one aspect of cognitive-behavior therapy with emphasis on reducing self-defeating

thoughts and on changing behavior. Albert Bandura believe it to be a key to successful therapy.
 BUILDING SELF-EFFICACY and GOALS
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"Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings."

~ Samuel Johnson ~

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STEP ONE: EFFECTIVE GOAL SETTING

Research by Albert Bandura amongst others, has shown that setting and attaining achievable
goals is essential for increasing self efficacy.

· What motivates you to reach your goal?

Write down at least three reasons for wanting to reach your goal.
· A goal is written with an achievement in mind. It should be SMART:

· Specific
· Measurable
· Achievable
· Relevant
· Timescales

Write a SMART goal that includes your motivation to succeed. An example might be attending a
job interview:

'I will confidently describe my knowledge & skills at the interview on Tuesday and be the best
person for the job, allowing me to travel more.'

Remember, your goal will be specific (confidently describing skills & knowledge), relevant
(including your reason for wanting the job - a desire to travel), measurable (you will clearly know
that you have achieved it) and it should contain a timescale (a goal that says ‘I will get my ideal
job at some time in the future’ is too vague to be effective).
If you have a long-term goal, break it down into smaller sub-goals, this will help you to
understand the smaller goals that need to be achieved to reach the larger, long-term goal.
Monitor your progress and continually assess your capabilities.

Why are goals great for achieving success?

Your unconscious mind is always storing information. The unconscious mind stores everything you
see, think, hear, say, feel, taste and smell. Your unconscious mind cannot act on it’s own, it needs
instruction from you. A goal is an instruction to your unconscious mind.

Once you have written down your goal, your unconscious mind has an achievement to work
towards. Your unconscious mind will now alert your conscious mind to any information that can
help you to obtain your goal.

STEP TWO: VISUALIZATION

Visualizing succes is a scientifically proven technique which is often used in the field of sports
psychology. The principles can be used to assist success with all goals.

We move towards the things that we concentrate on. Using goals is one way to move towards
something you want to achieve. Another useful way to focus on your success is to visualise it
happening.

What you vividly visualise influences what will happen in future. This includes visualizing
something negative. For example, if you have previously not done your best in an interview, when
you visualise that incident you are encouraging your unconscious mind to look for information
that reinforces thoughts of you not performing at your best in interviews.

Your unconscious mind needs to be instructed by you, once you have programmed it to believe
you don't perform at your best in interviews, it will look for evidence to support that
instruction. This makes it especially important not to replay past mistakes in your mind. By doing
so you are only creating a vivid picture of a mistake for your unconscious mind to work with!

The good news is that you can instruct your unconscious mind to achieve your goal by visualising
success, such as a great interview. Your unconscious mind will use the visualisation of you giving
a great interview to alert your conscious mind to search for information that will contribute to
your success. For example, every time you do well in an interview, your unconscious mind will
alert your conscious mind to register this evidence of your superb interview skills.

Effective visualisation should use the following methods:

· Imagine your successful interview as a movie.
· Visualise the brightest possible colours.
· Choose a soundtrack to accompany your success and play it whilst visualising your successul
interview. If it feels good to have a loud soundtrack, increase the volume!
· Take time to experience the feelings of success in your visualisation.
· Practise your visualisation regularly, this will focus all your senses on your success.

STEP THREE: POSITIVE SELF-TALK

You have already discovered the advantages of harnessing your unconscious. Your self-talk is no
exception.

What do you think would be the affect of telling yourself ‘I just can’t get the hang of doing well
at interviews’? It’s obvious that this is another way to instruct your unconscious mind in a way
that doesn’t work to your advantage.

Confident self-talk is essential. Remember, your unconscious believes exactly what you tell it.
Tell yourself ‘this is easy for me’ and your unconscious mind will ensure that you act according
to this positive belief.

Use the following techniques to develop positive self-talk:

· Don’t make negative statements about your goal either to yourself or others.
· If you catch yourself making a negative statement, immediately correct it with a positive
comment, for example, by telling yourself that you perform well at interviews.
· Make positive statements to yourself about your abilities and skills.
· Replace negative thoughts with positive alternatives. Remember the vivid picture created
by your visualisation of success.

STEP FOUR: VISUALISING SUCCESS EXERCISE

· Make sure you have at least fifteen minutes, in a quiet place, to practise this visualisation
technique.
· Remember an occasion when you achieved success. What was the event? What does it look
like? How does it feel? What can you hear and see? Is there music? Recall your success as
vividly as possible. Experience the amazing feelings of this great achievement.
· Imagine the same feelings of success and accomplishment as you visualise your current goal.
You are now feeling the power of that confidence, success and accomplishment from your
previous achievement as you effortlessly achieve your new goal.
· Well done!

"If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the
beginning."
~ Mahatma Gandhi ~
ADD-ONS