Confidence is not something we are born with, but something we learn. Through practicing simple steps such as thinking positively, acknowledging our progress, being grateful, and being an expert at what we do, we feel better about ourselves and achieve what we want in life.
1. First, believe you can do what you want to do. Belief has tremendous power over our lives. It determines whether we will fail or succeed at our goals. The saying goes, ¨If you believe you can´t, you will be right, and if you believe you can, you´ll be right¨. Believe You Can and reach new heights in your life.
2. Think Positively. Learn to be aware of your thoughts and direct them. When you get into a funk and your mind goes to, ¨I can´t do that,¨ ¨This won´t work out¨ or ¨I´ll never be able to get another job,¨ stop the negative thinking, and consciously choose positve thoughts. Thinking positively is a skill you can learn. It will take time and practice to break the ¨negative¨ habit.
Say to yourself, ¨I´m amazing, I always get what I want.¨ ¨Look at the progress I´ve made,¨ ¨This is easy.¨ ¨I´ll start a part time business to make money until I get my next position.¨
3. Notice the progress you are making and acknowlege it. This will create a positive spiral of thinking and belief. Your mind will then notice other positive actions you are taking and you will create a spiral of self confidence. Eventually you will believe in yourself and be confident that you can do it.
4. We all create To Do Lists; now create an Acknowledgement List to remind yourself of what you are accomplishing. Post it in a prominent place where you will see it and review it several times a day.
5. Excercise. A proven correlation exists between exercise and self-esteem. Begin an exercise routine, however small, and you´ll immediately feel better about yourself. Getting out doors and moving and engaging in vigorous activities expands the mind and frees you from a narrow limiting mindset. Eating well and getting lots of sleep will also contribute to your health and performance.
6. Accept compliments. When people show admiration for what you are doing, embrace it and let it in.
7. ¨Fake it til you make it¨. Exaggerate positivity and give and be kind to others. For example go out of your way to help a neighbor or an old person across the street. Compliment others. Volunteer. Take any kind of work you can get until you have what you want.
8. Be around people that empower you. Your peer group affects 80% of your attitude and success. Be with people who are honest with you, that encourage you to reach your goals and won´t let you fail.
9. Dress up! Give attention to and take pleasure in how you dress and your appearence. Dressing well will assist you exude confidence and respecting yourself. The best way to get out of feeling blue? Buy some new clothes or remake your wardrobe! Also taking stock in your room, the place you live and the things you own.
10. Get prepared before an important event! Whether it´s a job interview, a date, a test, an important meeting, prepare in advance so you will do your best and have an encouraging experience that will reinforce your confidence. You´ll say to your self, ¨See, I did well in that interview.¨ It´s only a matter of time before I get the employment I want.
11. Practice Gratitude. Spend time every day reviewing what you are thankful for. What do you like and appreciate about yourself? Your smile, your dedication to a healthy lifestyle; your personality, sense of humor, and your family?
Small things are as important as large ones. ¨I am thankful for the warm weather and the hilly environment where I can take long walks for my exercise.¨ ¨I am thinkful for the wonderful friends I have that love and support me.¨ ¨I am thankful for my pets that entertain and keep me company.¨
12. We are good at some activities, not so good at others, and when we achieve a level of expertise at what we do, we are more confident, activities come easier to us and we are more willing to take risks.
When we learn and practice new skills, we become more and more confident and it builds our positive feedback loop. The number one way to build confidence is to build competence. This is how:
a. Exactly define your goals.
b. Visualize yourself achieving them and how you will feel and what you will think when you have achieved them. Daily vizualization is a habit successful people use to get what they want. Hundreds of studies show that the human mind doesn´t know the difference between a visualization and a real event. So visualizing tells your subconscious that this is what you want and works towards it.
c. Divide your goals into small steps and focus on achieving each one. If you goal is to be a youtuber, start with learning the camera settings and being able to use them. Then practice filming scenes with diffferent lighting, angles, and backgrounds. Learn how to present yourself effectively on camera. As you become better at each task, your confidence will grow.
d. Focus on acheiving each small step, not only the final goal. This will keep your study simply and you will feel a sense of conpetence and confidence in your progress.
e. PRACTICE. We learn through doing, not through taking endless notes. It is not until we create a page and begin marketing our personal brand on Facebook, for example, that we learn how to do it. Remember how you learned to ride a bicycle or play your favorite sport?
f. Reward yourself when you have done well or achieved your goals. Take an evening, day, or week off and do what love to do. Spend time with friends or a weekend at your favorite vacation spot. Small rewards are valuable too. Allow yourself to watch that movie you´ve been wanting to see, buy that item you´ve wanted, have a meal from that new enticing restaurant.
Apply these simple steps and you´ll be amazed at how you cruz through life feeling self-confidence, having people respond positively to you, and making your activities go the way you want them.
