Not everyone is born with roaring amounts of self-confidence, in fact, for the most part, confidence is something that we acquire as we grow up. It is shaped and molded by our achievements, our peers, our teachers, and even our parents. Many of us wish that we could be more confident, and while the thought of trying to build that confidence can send some people into a state of acute anxiety, the reality is that it’s really not as daunting a task as we assume it to be. Today we are looking at the small changes that are standing between you and your confident self.
Change to a positive mindset
It’s all too easy to focus on the negative aspects of life. This isn’t going to get us anywhere. The whirlpool of negativity is a vicious cyclone that sucks us down deeper and deeper. Start small by choosing something to be actively positive about. Starting with our jobs is a good place to begin. Instead of focusing on the hours and colleagues that irritate us, focus on those colleagues who make our day a little brighter and be thankful for that paycheck at the end of the week. The more we start to actively focus on the positive, the easier it becomes. Before we know it we have pulled back from that negativity cyclone and are leading a happier life.
Start to believe in yourself
Nobody will believe in us if we don’t believe in ourselves first. Making a list of all the things we are really good at is a great place to start. Once we notice that the list is getting longer and longer, it becomes easier to have faith in ourselves. For the things we are not so good at, but want to be, having that inner faith will push us to try harder and master the task at hand. If we tell ourselves that we can’t do it, why would we even bother to try? And we will never know until we try.
Dress like you
This might sound so superficial, but how we look can actually play a big role in how we feel. A lot of the time, someone who doesn’t have enough self-confidence will try to fit in with the crowd by wearing what’s trendy. Often, this leads to even further confidence problems because they don’t feel comfortable. Dressing authentically to our true selves is a great step in boosting our confidence.
What others think is really not important
This is probably the most important step. Why does it matter what someone else thinks of us? The answer is simple… It doesn’t matter at all. Not one little bit. The fear of being judged or not liked can hold people back from doing amazing things. Life is not about pleasing other people, our individual lives have virtually nothing to do with someone else, especially someone that we might not even see again. Wear that geeky shirt, take those dancing lessons, and go to that party. Because at the end of the day, we will regret it if we don’t.
Building confidence starts with baby steps, and following these guidelines will have even the most timid person on the road to a confident new self in next to no time.
