Have you ever been told by people that you’re too much of a pushover? On the flipside, do your attempts to appear more authoritative or assertive come across to people as aggressive? It can be hard to get the balance right, and for that people like to complain. However, this balance is a fact of life. Many positive qualities that we cherish can flip into negative ones if we let it get out of hand: confidence becomes arrogance; determination becomes stubbornness, and so on.
Let’s return to assertiveness. It doesn’t matter what people say about assertiveness, it’s a positive and valuable quality and everyone should work on fostering their own sense of assertiveness. One way for Victorians to do that would be to find the right assertiveness training in Melbourne, of course, but more important is doing it for the right reasons, the key benefits.
Benefit 1: A Major Boost to Confidence and Self-Esteem
What you might not realize is that so often in your life you encounter situations that are damaging your confidence to the point wherein adulthood you have no assertiveness left to offer. Small things like not telling a shop or restaurant that they’ve got your order wrong, or inquiring why a taxi driver seems to be taking the long way around, for example, can build up over time, diminishing our will to assert ourselves.
Being more assertive means you don’t get short-changed in life. It’s not about being bombastic or aggressive. It’s about being treated correctly, fairly, and with respect, just as anyone should expect in this life and this society.
Benefit 2: You’re Less Likely to Compromise On Your Goals
Another great benefit of assertiveness is how it positively influences your growth and development in career and life. If you have goals, a lack of assertiveness can hold you back from achieving them because your meeker self is willing to “accept defeat” or simply to “settle.” An assertive personality doesn’t settle just for what they’ve managed to get. They strive and continue to get what they wanted all along.
Benefit 3: You’ll Be a Better Communicator
There’s no denying that assertive people are, by and large, much better communicators than their meeker counterparts. They know clearly what they want or need, and more importantly they know how to talk about it clearly and in no uncertain terms. When you lack assertiveness, it can be hard to express what you really want, and thus you don’t ever get what it is you want. Assertiveness gives clarity of purpose, and that clarity translates into clarity of thought and expression too.
Benefit 4: Decisions Will Come More Easily
There are many tough decisions to make in life, and being assertive is a good trait to help you make them more efficiently and effectively. We’re not saying that being assertive will always help you make the best decision, nor will it lead you to the easiest decisions, but they are more likely to be the right ones for you, and you will make them with heart and with purpose. Many people lose out on benefits and advantages in life simply because they cannot make a clear decision. It leads them to doing things half-heartedly, and subsequently to a lower standard.
Benefit 5: You’ll Be Respected
People naturally admire leadership in others, even if they display leadership qualities themselves. Being assertive gives you the confidence and clarity to exhibit the kind of leadership people admire and want to follow. If you’re in a position where having others’ respect is important and/or beneficial, then assertiveness is a trait you should carefully nurture.