We live in a society that pre-defines success and impresses a career trajectory on us; we should have clear goals, work hard and build a business or find a well-paying job. This might sound good, but having a path laid out already teaches us to seek validation externally from others or our job instead of ourselves. That pressure can turn motivation and ambition into a draining and depressing experience if we don’t meet external expectations. 

During, iCRA’s 40th anniversary conference, Jean Boudillon, an expert in personal leadership and entrepreneurship, shared his inspiring trajectory overcoming external pressure to start making a real impact during his workshop entitled “To Build Impact, Start with Yourself” . In his words,

 “Success is the alignment between who we are and what we do!” 

According to Jean, to have impact you must first reflect on yourself. Introspection can help you find out what a positive impact or success means to you personally. You can develop this self-awareness by reflecting on questions like: 

• Why am here?  
• Why am I doing this job?  
• What do I really like? 
• What do I really want?  

 Learning how to answer these questions will help you build trust in yourself. It will also give meaning and purpose to the choices you make. This will help you align your values and goals with the way we show up in this world, whether it be at work, during your hobbies or in your relationships. 

Self-awareness will boost our confidence and improve personal and organisational leadership. It helps us stop hoping to step into someone else’s shoes and start accepting where we are, owning our stories including our negative experiences. This acceptance provides a sense of direction aligned with who we are. The more we do what we love, the more impact we have. 

 Inspired to build more trust in yourself? Take a look at Jean’s guiding questions to kick-start your self-reflection. You can also follow a recording of his inspiring workshop.