5 ways to boost your self-confidence

Why Confidence Matters

Confidence is a gateway to success, the life you want, and to the dreams that you desire. It allows for you to boldly progress towards your greatest ambitions and aspirations, not only making day-to-day life more manageable, but also helping you to handle the daily demands and challenges that life will inevitably throw your way.

A lack of confidence does not lead to success, it leads to holding back, shyness, inaction, and most often, missed opportunities. Self-confidence is essential, as it leads you to believe in yourself, and this is what will allow you to rise up and reach your potential. With confidence, you are more likely to take action, seize the moment, and persevere long after those who doubt themselves.

So, if confidence breeds success, are you as successful as you can be and as confident as you should be? Read on as I share with you 5 ways to help you build your self-confidence in order to help you strive towards fulfillment and achievement.

1) Be positive, no matter the situation or position you’re in

Almost all successes and attainments in life come from your ability to feel certain that you can accomplish what you set out to achieve. This is one of the key elements to success, so it should always be maintained. That being said, it’s important to stray from those in your life who put you down and make you feel less than. Instead, try to surround yourself with supportive people and positivity. Negativity only works to shred your self-confidence, so do anything you have to in order to mitigate this feeling. Succeeding when faced with difficulties is a great confidence booster, so even when things seem too hard, don’t get discouraged. Instead, tell yourself you will push past them, because with a little self-encouragement, it’s likely that you will.

2) Fake it ‘til you make it

Some people might seem to be very confident individuals, when in reality, they’re feeling just as discouraged as the rest of us. This is where the phrase “fake it ‘til you make it” comes into play. But be mindful that this strategy only works when you successfully identify what’s holding you back. Acting like the person you want to become is about changing the way you think and the way you feel. It’s probable that over time, you will slowly start to see a change.

3) Don’t compare yourself to others

Most people, when comparing themselves with others, eventually start to convince themselves that they aren’t good enough, smart enough, or talented enough. My advice? Stop comparing yourself to others, because you’ll always come up short. There will always be someone that seems more intelligent, more confident, or more successful, so just focus on being the best you that you can be and play up your strengths as opposed to your weaknesses. Each individual possesses their own characteristics that make them the best for the job, so don’t focus on what you don’t have, instead focus on what you do.

4) Appearances matter

Your body language and image tell a story. Even if you’re not feeling confident, the way you present yourself can change that. For example, a confident person will capture a room as soon as they walk in. To project self-confidence, try standing up straight with your shoulders back, making eye contact, and having a calm and relaxed smile and facial expression. This will make others around you feel instantly comfortable. I always like to tell my candidates that dressing professionally and appropriately is the key to how others will perceive you. When you look your best, you will also feel your best, and that means feeling confident as well.

5) Don’t let fear hold you back

When that little voice in your head tells you not to take a risk because you’ll fail, push that voice to the back of your mind. Learn how to trust your gut and take action! The only opportunities guaranteed to breed failure are the ones you don’t take. As long as you let fear hold you back, negativity will follow you everywhere. Prepare for future opportunities and make sure you’re ready to seize them when they’re presented to you.

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