Self Efficacy For Your Goals
What is Self-Efficacy?
Self-efficacy pertains to one’s belief in their own abilities to complete desired effects of their own actions (Bandura, 1977, 1986, 1997). Through self-efficacy, the belief you will be able to reach your desired goal, or outcome expectancy, you analyze your own skills that reflect the possibility to get that goal or task done, or efficacy expectancies.
Think of the childhood story of The Little Engine That Could. The popular phrase “I think I can, I think I can” is parallel with what self-efficacy is.
Do you think you can complete your goals with the traits and skills you have already learned?
Self-efficacy stems from social cognitive theory. This theory states that humans can actively shape their lives rather than being bystanders of environmental forces around them. We have the ability to create our own outcomes through self-efficacy.
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Having self-efficacy can develop out of the following:
Success in previous similar situations
Modeling after others behaviors in situations
Visualizing life after goal is secure
Arousal and emotion can be manipulated to our benefit
Influence from a trustworthy expert
Neurologically, self-efficacy shows up in our frontal and prefrontal lobes to facilitate our prioritization of tasks and goals. When faced with these, the left side of our brain lights up to help with problem-solving. On the other hand, the right hemisphere reacts to the language and abstract processes.
How to benefit from our self-efficacy for self-improvement
Much research has looked at how self-efficacy can be implicated for a successful life in coping, minimizing depression, and lowering anxiety.
There are ways to measure self-efficacy and many positive psychologists will tap into this to analyze individuals dealing with schizophrenia to enhance their chances of success.
We can use this to our advantage to improve our goal completion, become physically healthier, and aim towards higher optimism and hope by:
Build off the successes of smaller goals to complete larger goals
Use models previously made to learn how to overcome difficulties
Allow yourself to imagine what life will be like at the end of your goals (vision boards help with this!)
Use verbal persuasion either through a trustworthy psychotherapist or daily affirmations
Learn techniques to lower your arousal around specific triggers
Learn to meditate, breathe work, relaxation
Although these skills are easier said than done, our desire for a better life is always the push we need to become better versions of ourselves. Self-efficacy can be developed to help us adapt to external situations rather than being pessimistic about how they may turn out.
We live and learn how to better cope with our situations and how to free ourselves of our own anxiety. Whether you need external help, from a psychologist or family member, your abilities are there, you just need to be able to learn how to get them to come through.
How to Begin Your Self-Efficacy Journey
Self-efficacy, as stated before, is just the belief in your own capabilities to complete tasks or goals. The best way to grow your self-efficacy is through the following:
Journaling & Self-Study
Here’s the thing, I wholeheartedly believe that journaling is the way to go. There are different types of journals to keep track of this. Reflective journaling is the best way to find out what you’re missing or need more of. That way you can tailor your affirmations to your exact needs. Self-efficacy can be taught, but only through self-study.
Pick up a journal and get to writing!!
Remember if you don’t evaluate your experiences after they happened, how do you know if you’re growing or learning you are capable of following through with your goals?
Affirmations
If there is any way to really grow your own personal beliefs of your ego or self, it’s through verbalizing your desires. Affirming that you are enough.
Whether that’s creative, smart, brave, or strong enough, telling yourself that YOU CAN DO IT is the absolute best way to begin your self-efficacy journey.
Wake up everyday and tell yourself what you want to hear from others. Self-love may one of the most important things pertaining to self-efficacy.
Follow Your Intuition
Making your own decisions is hard. You’ll have no one to blame but yourself when things turn upside down. However, we grow from our experiences. Following your intuition is a great way to grow your self-efficacy as you learn that your brain and heart will always guide you in the direction you want to go.
As my best friend told me once, “you’ll always make the right decision for yourself in the moment.”
Expand your comfort zone
How will you know if you are capable of more if you don’t expand your comfort zone? Have you always wanted to try rock climbing? Try a free course near you. Always wanted to try yoga? Find one that is meant to be silly. Like with GOATS! What about trying a new hobby like painting? Find a painting and sip near you. The thing is you CAN do it. It’s just going to be awkward at first. You’re not the only person trying these things for the first time, how else did goat yoga become a thing?
How do you know you can’t do it unless you try? As many self-help coaches will say, practice is how you evolve. If you wait until the day you know how to do something, you’ll be waiting forever. The only way to become confident in your abilities is through practice.
Set SMART Goals
SMART Goals have been around awhile, and as you dive into really anything goal related, you’ll hear this term.
SMART is an anagram for:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-bound
If you begin all your goals or tasks with these in mind, your ability to complete them will skyrocket. Not only that but your innate belief that you couldn’t do it in the first place, will be squandered by your new sense of self-efficacy!
Looking towards the future while keeping the big picture in mind, will grow your self-efficacy through the smaller tasks until you get there.
