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Life is more enjoyable when you feel confident. It’s also easier to be successful. A lack of confidence can get in the way of your career, relationships, and social life. Low self-confidence can trip you up when you least expect it.
When you have fears and self-doubt, your self-confidence is not high. You may feel lost, confused, and lack a clear direction which can affect how you show up in the world.
Imagine how your life would change if you had the self-confidence to do the things you don’t feel like you can do now. No more obstacles holding you back from achieving your goals.
Luckily, your sense of self-confidence is under your control. If you avoid managing it, it will be lower than you deserve. But if you grab control of it, you will live a much more fulfilling and satisfying life.
You don’t deserve anything less than the best. When you have strong self-confidence you have the power to command control from your situation and master your life. You are more confident in your decisions, plans, and actions. Success comes a lot faster and more efficiently.
So what are some steps you can take to get more confidence in yourself?
Increase your self-confidence and feel better about yourself and your future:
Have a small success.
Take on a small task or something around the house that you have been meaning to do, like getting the garage cleaned out. Have an intention and follow through on it. When you intend to do something and accomplish it, you feel more confident.
My personal favorite is completing a blog post. When I complete it, I feel a great sense of satisfaction and confidence that I am capable of achieving what I set out to do. Any kind of art or writing will give that sense of satisfaction once finished.
Let go of the past.
You’ve had a few things go wrong in the past, but that has nothing to do with today. Your future is created today. There’s no reason to weigh yourself down with anything that’s happened in the past.
Exercise.
Go for a run or do 25 pushups. Even a vigorous walk can boost your self-confidence. When we feel and look healthy our self-confidence goes up. Even just a small amount of exercise can boost your confidence.
Build your social skills.
A lack of social skills is a common cause of low self-confidence. Interacting with others is an important activity. When you know that you can do it well, your self-confidence will increase. There are many books and websites created to address this issue, but my favorite is How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Here some other useful books and journals to track your progress.
Hang out with a positive crowd.
The people around you affect your mood and outlook on life. Your confidence is affected, too.
Create a social group that supports you and maintains a positive attitude.
- Find a Facebook group that you relate with.
- Call some close friends and have a movie night or other outing.
- Talk with family or close friends about your goals and dreams. Let them encourage you to pursue your goals.
- Join a support group in your community for your particular obstacle.
Tackle a fear.
Afraid of spiders? Go to the pet store and ask to hold a tarantula. Fear of heights? Find a building downtown that allows the public to use the observation deck. We make every effort to avoid the things we fear. Rather than hiding, face a fear head-on and notice how confident you feel afterwards. Bravery and self-confidence are cousins.
The fear that you tackle doesn’t have to be a physical fear. Many fears are in the form of mental blocks such as talking to strangers. Get over your mental fear by striking up a conversation with a random stranger. Compliment someone or use a comment to start conversing.
Make a list of your past successes.
You’ve had at least a few. You’ve probably forgotten more than you remember! Take just a minute or two to remember these great successes. You’ll feel more powerful after just 60 seconds.
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TIP: Make a list and carry it with you. Start with your childhood and move forward in time to the present day. When you’re feeling down, pull out your list and bask in your successes.Do something you’re good at. After a hard day, nothing can boost your confidence like spending some time at an activity you excel at. Make a list of the things you do well and spend some time each day doing one of them. Build this time into your schedule.
If possible, create a social event around the activity. Having someone see you do something well is an even bigger boost to your self-confidence. You will get praise from your peers and feel that sense of accomplishment.
Get out of your head.
A lack of confidence is a sign that you’re spending too much time thinking about yourself and the negative traits you possess. Put the focus on others and the current activity. Learn to live in the moment. It’s hard to lack confidence if you’re not even thinking about yourself.
If you’re alone, spend time doing something that engrosses your attention. Something such as writing allows you to get out of your head and stop thinking about negative thoughts. Reflect on your blessings and you will begin to quickly feel better.
Take time each day to enhance your self-confidence. Just a few minutes of effort can change the way you feel about yourself. Everything is easier and more enjoyable when you’re confident in your abilities.
How I Boost My Self Confidence
I personally have two things that I do in order to increase my self-confidence:
1) Visualize a confident version of myself. I imagine what it would be like to be a self-confident me. What would I do that I wouldn’t normally? What would I be proud of myself for? How can I show self-confidence daily?
2) Read affirmations that support being strong, independent, self-confident, and overcoming doubt. You can get affirmations delivered to your inbox with my newsletter, The Inspire Flyer.
Imagine the best version of yourself. Avoid allowing the world to dictate your level of self-confidence. Take control of this important trait.
Do things that allow you to build your confidence and take intentional action towards building your confidence. After time, you will find that the more you practice, the more confident you will become without even thinking about it.
[…] See also: 9 Sure-Fire Ways to Boost Your Confidence […]