So, I've been thinking about Bandura lately...

What? I have an Education major and a Psychology minor, and from time to time I ponder the work of major theorists. So get over it ;-).

The reason I've been sitting around pondering social cognitive theory lies, once again, in my obsession with somehow conquering the world of the 9-5 "typical" job. I think it's pretty safe to say that I think 9-5 jobs, especially those that actually are more like 8-6 or 7, are not so practical, or appealing, for the younger workforce. That said, more flexible jobs with less typical schedules or jobs that allow working from home are still in the minority...so it takes a little ingenuity to find what you're looking for.

I've heard some bloggers refer to those who can be successful at a career on their own terms as some kind of superstar, a go-getter, or even as "entitled" (yeah, I'm looking at you Generation Y haters). I think what they're actually referring to was coined by Bandura in the '70s--a little thing called self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is essentially the belief that you can overcome obstacles by setting and reaching goals. Basically, you believe you can get stuff done. Bandura found that people with a high sense of self-efficacy view problems as challenges to master, develop deeper interest in tasks, have higher levels of commitment to tasks and activities, and recover quickly from setbacks and disappointments. I don't know about you, but that sounds like the kind of person who can take control of their career and create a rockin' work-life balance along with an adequate paycheck.

Some tips? People with high self-efficacy generally got that way because of...

1. Precedence. Believe it or not, to believe in your ability to succeed, you typically need to have succeeded before.

2. Seeing it done. Witnessing success helps you believe that you can do it, too. I guess all those career experts telling you to talk to people you admire about how they achieved success are not only on to something practically, but also psychologically.

3. Pats on the back. If you have people encouraging you along the way, your belief in your abilities skyrockets. Hooray for positive and supportive friends!

4. Your reactions to your own reactions. Meta-reactions maybe? Anyway, basically when you react to a situation by, say, experiencing anxiety, it's not so much the anxiety that counts, but your reaction to the anxiety. Do you let it run rampant? Do you back out of something because of it? If you can decrease stress levels and learn to "push through" anxiety by taking action instead of running away (fight instead of flight), your sense of self-efficacy will probably improve.

So, this is one thing I'm tackling. I haven't been 100% clear on this yet, but you could say I'm officially pursuing (read: ravenously scouring the internet for) some writing opportunities...and I'm getting some. But more often than not I'm getting rejected. That whole "bouncing back" part of my own self-efficacy is getting tested. Generally, however, I feel like I can do it. Wouldn't it be awesome if when hubby and I make the big move, all I need is one part-time job because of my writing stuff?

...yeah, its a kinda lofty goal...but I might just tuck that sense of self-efficacy in my back pocket and go for it...

Thoughts? Goals to share? Comment below. Also, don't forget to share with a friend!


P.S.- In case you haven't already, here's where you can read one of my more recent articles! If you like social commentary, this is a pretty fun site. Fukushima and Chernobyl: Are we competent enough for nuclear power?