This day is especially important for Alice as she has an interview with a company that she would love to work for. Alice continues to say to herself all morning: “They aren’t going to like me because I don’t believe I’m good enough for the position.”

Jordan is getting ready for work the same morning. He looks in the mirror and says to himself:

“I’m tired but I know this too will pass. I’m overweight but at least I’m going to the gym to work out and I am happy with the way I am trying to improve my self-image.” This day is especially important for Jordan as he has an interview with a company he would love to work for. Jordan says to himself before the interview: “They are going to like me because they will see how hard working I am and how determined I am.”

Alice and Jordan are two candidates that have been asked to come in for an interview for a position with the same company. They both have the same qualifications, same work experience and same desire to work for this company. Alice’s self-image and self-esteem are somewhat negative and Jordan’s self-image and self-esteem are somewhat positive. Who is going to get the job? If you answered Jordan, you are right.

So many decisions are based on our own self-image and self-esteem. How we feel about ourselves influences how we live our lives. People who feel they are likable and lovable have better relationships. People who believe they can accomplish goals and solve problems do better in their career. People who believe they are a positive influence in their community continue to give back in positive ways to the community. Those who feel they are good parents, typically do a good job parenting. 

Self-image is our own mental picture about who we believe we are, how we believe we look and what we believe we are good at. This self-image is based on interactions with others and the types of life experiences we have had. This is the building block for self-esteem.

Self-esteem is based on how much we feel valued, loved, accepted and thought well of by others. In addition to how we think others perceive us, self-esteem is largely about how we value, love and accept ourselves. 

Throughout our lives there are people who will be positive and negative influences on our self-esteem. It’s up to us as individuals to make a choice how much these positive or negative influences affect our overall being.

So how do you improve your self-image and self-esteem?  

Make a conscious decision to evaluate your self-image and self-esteem;

• Stop negative thoughts about yourself;
• Aim for accomplishments rather than perfection;
• View mistakes as learning opportunities;
• Recognise what you can and cannot change;
• Set goals;
• Exercise;

And remember to have fun!

Self-image and self-esteem are traits that can always be improved, even if you feel you are pretty satisfied with your internal thoughts and perceptions about yourself. 

It’s never too late to make the decision to make a change and if self-image and self-esteem are things you believe you need to work on, then make the decision to start today!