Strategical positive elements!
Strategically picking your friends, focusing on visualization to act confident, and supporting your physical body with what it needs to thrive–these are all valuable ways to stay positive and develop greater self-confidence.
Read Self-Confidence Books
The more positive elements you have in your life, the easier it is to gain confidence and believe in yourself even more.
Deciding to make small changes in your routine and surroundings can have a big impact on your ability to develop confidence and stay positive. One of the best ways to achieve this is by reading self-confidence books.
When it comes to building self-confidence, there are so many authors who have written about proven methods to help do just that.
Consider reading a few of these works to help you understand how to build self-confidence:
“The Power of Self-Confidence” by Brian Tracy
“The Confidence Code” by Claire Shipman
“Get Out of Your Own Way” by Philip Goldberg and Mark Goulston
“The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem: The Definitive Work on Self-Esteem by the Leading Pioneer in the Field” by Nathaniel Branden
“Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds” by David Goggins
“The Self Confidence Workbook: A Guide to Overcoming Self-Doubt and Improving Self-Esteem” by Barbara Markway, Celia Ampel, and Teresa Flynn
Remember Your Past Achievements
One of the best ways to combat negative self-talk and boost low self-confidence? Spend some time reflecting on your past success.
Making a list of your accomplishments is a powerful way to gain more confidence in yourself. The list will remind you that you’ve done it before, and you can do it again.
Grab a pen and paper and get to work listing your achievements over your life. You might start out the list something like:
Graduated from college summa cum laude
Received an award after six months in my first job. Wrote a book on the weekends
If you’re having trouble coming up with items to add to your list, get out of your comfort zone and ask a friend, family member, or colleague for their input on your own abilities.
When your list is complete, stick it somewhere you’ll see it every day, such as your refrigerator door or bathroom mirror.
But don’t feel like you need to stop at “big” achievements. To help build confidence on an ongoing basis, consider making a list of achievements every day. This might read something like:
Went to the gym
Worked through an online course
Practiced public speaking
Any time you make progress toward your goals, that counts as success. And keeping track of your day-to-day success will make you a more confident person.
Use Positive Affirmations
Positive self-talk and affirmations are helpful tools to boost low self-confidence.
When you use positive self-talk, you simply think positive thoughts to and about yourself instead of negative ones. For example, instead of thinking:
“I can’t believe I didn’t finish the project in time. I’m such a failure. They’ll never ask me to lead anything again.”
Think to yourself:
“I didn’t finish the project on time, but I worked really hard, and I know my boss recognizes my effort. I’m thankful for the deadline extension and I’ll do a great job of finishing up the project.”
If you lack confidence, consider whether you’re using negative self-talk. Flipping this around might be key to helping you gain self-confidence and become your authentic self.
Daily affirmations are also extremely helpful in developing self-confidence and a positive attitude. Consider repeating affirmations in the mirror every morning as well as thinking them to yourself throughout your day.
Here is a list of positive affirmations to choose from:
I am confident.
I am successful.
I am happy.
I am a hard worker.
I am improving myself every day.
Today is going to be a good day.
I have everything I need.
I am grateful for everything I have.
I am going to be productive today.
I am capable of making it through hard times.
I might fail, but I will always keep trying.
I am doing the best I can.
Over time, these affirmations will replace negative thoughts. You’ll be able to stop comparing yourself to other people’s success and recognize that you have a lot to offer, too.
Take Care Of Yourself
Self-compassion is part of self-confidence.
Self-compassion combines mindfulness and kindness, not beating yourself up when you fail. How would you treat your best friend if they failed at something or if they’re going through a rough patch? You’d probably respond with support and comfort. That’s how you should treat yourself, too.
It’s important to note that self-compassion is different from self-pity. You don’t want to sit around feeling sorry for yourself, or take this as justification to binge Netflix and eat junk food all day.
Instead, being compassionate to yourself is about giving yourself what you need to be set up for success.
This might look like taking the time to develop skills that will open doors down the road. It might look like being intentional about going further in life but regardless everywhere is good and forgetting the basic matters and lessons of the Olding days of education Norms!
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