Achieving success is hard, but achieving success with self confidence can be even harder. If you’re lacking self confidence, it’s only natural to question your abilities and fear failure. Fortunately, there are many ways to develop self confidence, even if you have low self esteem or have previously struggled with being confident in your abilities. You just need to know how to do it. Check out these five ways to develop self confidence so you can get ahead of the game in whatever challenges await you.
1. Develop a Positive Mindset
In order to develop self confidence, you need a positive mindset. In fact, most of us have a negative mindset about ourselves and our abilities. Instead of seeing yourself as capable and competent, you tell yourself that you’re not good enough, smart enough or talented enough. Take a look at your thoughts over a 24-hour period. How many times do you say things like I’ll never be able to…? A great exercise is keeping a journal where you write down your thoughts each night before bed for a week. At first, you might feel discouraged by all of those critical comments, but as time goes on and as more entries pile up—you’ll start noticing how negative they are.
2. Think About Your Characteristics and Accomplishments
When you’re feeling down on yourself, taking a few minutes to think about your strengths and accomplishments can help put things in perspective. Maybe you’re an excellent public speaker or maybe you always work hard for what you want. If your confidence needs a bit of a boost, take some time and write down everything that makes you successful and unique as a person. Every successful person has had moments where they didn’t feel confident; if we didn’t we’d never try anything new. Next time you need some inspiration for building self-confidence, flip through your list of traits and accomplishments: it’s sure to give you a boost!
3. Set Yourself Up For Success
If you’re struggling with low self-confidence, it may be time to challenge yourself. Whether that means taking on a new project at work or signing up for a marathon, forcing yourself into unfamiliar situations can help you feel more confident in your abilities. Because most of us are most comfortable when we’re in control, facing our fears is likely one of our best ways to develop self confidence. But push too hard and give up too easily and you could have just as many problems as before. Balance is key!
4. Identify Small Wins
Studies show that small wins are great confidence boosters. Set yourself up for success by breaking down your larger goal into smaller, more manageable steps. For example, if you’re trying to lose 30 pounds, start with a target of losing 10 pounds in 30 days—and then celebrate each day you achieve your goal. Not only will it help boost your confidence but it will also make you feel good about yourself. It’s important to develop self-confidence because when you do things like conquer something as minor as losing weight or learning a new skill, it builds momentum and encourages you to tackle larger goals in life. Then eventually—you’ll realize that having confidence is much easier than you ever thought possible.
5.Watch Yourself Be Confident
You can’t become self-confident unless you see yourself being self-confident. If you want to start feeling more confident, film yourself in situations where you do feel confident and play it back when you’re in a down mood. Seeing yourself doing things that make you feel good will help your mind associate those positive feelings with your own actions and behavior. Your brain will start finding ways to make those positive feelings happen more often. In time, if you get enough visual proof of what a confident version of yourself looks like, your brain will begin looking for ways to make it happen even when it doesn’t have visual evidence from videos or other sources.
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