Part of our desire for significance is that what we do has an impact on the world around us. So we want to move or achieve something – no matter how small or large this something is. So we don’t have to save the whole world as part of a big vision (or ‘purpose’). But we do want something to come out of it if we are committed to something.
But why do we need self-efficacy to change things, to develop ourselves and to make a difference?
First of all, the word “effective” is already contained in “self-efficacy”. So the real core of what we are talking about here lies in the word “self” – and therefore in our perception and our consciousness. In other words, it is about the perception of the impact and the extent to which we attribute it to ourselves. That’s why we talk about “making an impact”. When we do something or commit ourselves to something, we only derive a psychological benefit from it when we not only realise that it has an impact on another person or an undertaking, but that we have caused it ourselves. Only then can we experience self-efficacy.
It doesn’t matter if the presentation only went so successfully because you prepared it so well. Or that your grandma was so incredibly happy because you took so much time for her. Or that the children all wrote great tests because your lessons were so good. Or that you arrived on time because you had planned the journey so well. All these things didn’t just happen, but because you did what you did. That’s self-efficacy. And it is very important to be aware of these connections – or in technocratic terms, cause-and-effect relationships.
A small side note: Of course, this applies not only in positive cases, but – perhaps even more so – if you do something unintentionally that may have a negative impact on others. In this case, it is just as important to be aware of the impact of your own actions – not least in terms of being able to take appropriate criticism.
But back to why perceived self-efficacy is so important for us to develop as individuals. Because without self-efficacy, self-development is virtually impossible. If we do not have the feeling that we can influence the achievement of our goals, every endeavour would be pure coincidence and possibly in vain. And that would have a direct impact on our ability to think optimistically about the future as well as our motivation and energy. It is therefore immensely important that we can establish a clear connection between our commitment to something and the result achieved. Otherwise we would have no direct influence.
To the extent that we realise that it is worthwhile working towards our own plans and goals, we experience our self-efficacy – and can develop ourselves more and more as we achieve these goals or reach certain milestones on the way to their achievement. We generally perceive this as very rewarding – because we realise that it is not a coincidence, but that we have brought it about ourselves.
And why are self-efficacy and impact important for building resilience?
When we are stressed, anxious or in a crisis, we usually perceive this as a loss of control – we increasingly no longer feel to be in the driving seat. As a result, we implicitly question our self-efficacy. We are often so self-hypnotised (like the proverbial deer in the headlights) that we not only don’t know what to do, but also increasingly lose faith in our ability to create any positive impact and change things for the better. But of course that’s not true at all. We just can’t see it, because our stress, fears and despair make us temporarily “blind”, so to speak.
So, in the eye of the storm, it is all the more important for your own resilience to remember that you are very much capable of changing things for the better – and that you are often the only person who can do so. In other words “You have to do it yourself, but you don’t have to do it alone.” In any such situation, it is therefore crucial to remember your own self-efficacy – and at the same time that you can and should accept any support you can get and ask others for help accordingly. In a crisis, being aware of your own self-efficacy is therefore the prerequisite and the first step towards regaining it – and emerging stronger from this crisis in terms of prosilience. Because you experience that you can literally “pull yourself out of the mire by your own tail.”
