Why Self-Belief Is the Foundation for the Future of Work
For 35 years, I carried around beliefs about myself that simply weren’t true.
I’m not intelligent enough.
I’m not unique or different.
I’m not special in any way.
They weren’t true.
The truth is—we are all intelligent. We are all unique. We are all special in our own way.
But when you grow up in a world that defines worth by narrow standards, it’s easy to internalise the wrong messages.
As Albert Einstein so beautifully put it:
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
That was me. For a long time.
So what does self-belief have to do with the future of work?
Everything.
The future of work is filled with unknowns:
How will AI continue to disrupt industries?
What will the gig economy mean for long-term employment?
How will flash teams and short-term projects reshape the way we contribute?
Amidst all this uncertainty, one thing is clear...
No amount of technology can replace the essence of who we are.
Our energy.
Our ability to connect and adapt.
Our capacity to imagine, to feel, to care.
Our creativity.
Technology can enhance and augment these things—but it can’t be them.
The Skills Our Children Will Need
A report by the Foundation for Young Australians found that jobs of the future will demand 70% more enterprise skills than jobs of the past.
These are skills like:
Creativity
Problem solving
Communication
Collaboration
Critical thinking
And notably, between 2012 and 2015, job ads showed a 65% increase in demand for creativity.
That’s not a fluke. That’s a sign of what’s to come.
So, what does this mean for our children?
It means this: we need to nurture self-belief as much as we nurture academic ability.
We all have a genius inside us.
A unique spark of creativity that often brings value to others when it’s fully expressed.
But here’s the thing—you can’t access your creativity if you don’t believe in yourself.
You won’t even look for your genius if you’ve already decided you don’t have one.
It Starts With Us
What beliefs do you hold about yourself?
Are they still true for the version of you today?
What beliefs are you passing onto your child?
Are they empowering or limiting?
Parenting our children to access their creativity begins with us.
It begins with the beliefs we model, the values we live, and the space we create for them to explore who they are.
If you’re ready to raise a child who is confident in their uniqueness, grab a copy of my book Smart Parenting or check out my Stressed to Best Parent Method.
It’s filled with tools to help you raise resilient, self-aware, creative children—so they can thrive in the future of work.
👉 [Click here to learn more or buy the book now.]