Weâre always performing, whether thatâs professionally, socially, or personally. Such performances rely on self-confidence in so many ways.
When you are at work, excelling feels within your grasp when confidence is oozing from you. Socially, showing up when youâre self-confident is easier, which is also a vital tool in combating social anxiety. Personally, looking in the mirror is a wholly more relaxing experience with self-confidence. Without it, things can be difficult. Self-confidence gives you the skip in your step that prompts you to try new experiences, meet new people and simply enjoy a happier existence.
So, naturally, pushing yourself to live the best version of your life is difficult when that inner drive is waning.
Thereâs nothing like self-confidence, itâs the elixir of youth and the driving force behind humankind. Itâs why learning how to boost it is pivotal for overall life satisfaction and improvement.
Understand Your Fears
Thereâs a reason most people know roughly how long it took to build Rome. It wasnât built in a day, thatâs for sure. Regardless, thereâs a reason that turn of phrase is so well known. Like an empire, your self-confidence is built; brick by brick, action by action, day by day. Time spent waiting for confidence to arrive is time wasted. However, itâs wrong to assume that mere knowledge of that will do anything in boosting self-confidence. One of the most significant challenges facing anyone struggling with their confidence is dealing with any fears.
One of the most effective fear-conquering methods is to face them head-on, but first fears must be understood. Start with watching how you talk to yourself. Treat it as an experiment by practising the fears that originate from a lack of self-confidence. Note how you talk to yourself when faced with something that scares you, and perhaps most importantly, how you feel.
When youâre able to see how you are when forced to confront fears, you can go about putting effort toward mending them. A simple but effective thing to remember is that mistakes will pass. Self-confidence is quick to fade when a person views a pillar of their life as insufficient, so itâs easy to latch on to mistakes and blow them out of proportion. However, while mistakes can feel damaging in the moment, they often last longer because of how we react.
Overcoming self-doubt and overthinking is essential for building lasting confidence. Explore effective strategies in our article on self-doubt and overthinking.
Making mistakes will only serve to boost your confidence. The more trials and tribulations you come through, the more confident youâll feel. That sense of resilience is a fundamental part of establishing confidence in the long run, as it provides an extra layer of security – a knowledge that you have the power to bounce back from whatever life throws your way.
After all, mistakes fade, events pass, and time moves forward.
Improve Your Competencies
Whatâs one of the first questions you hear when you meet someone new?
âWhat do you do?â
The expected, the dreaded question. Its answer feels like a routine. It can also be a source of self-confidence issues for many. Of course, if youâve got plenty of achievements to brag about, such a question might perk your ears, but a lack of success can feel uncomfortable to share, particularly in a social setting.
This is all because of self-belief, or a lack thereof. But self-confidence doesnât only rest in the list of worthy achievements in your arsenal. Itâs likely to make itself known when you do something youâre good at – strengths grow, thus furthering belief in yourself. From there, youâve bought a ticket headed straight toward life satisfaction.
Here, the key lies in repetition. The more you do something, such as playing football or public speaking, for example, the better youâll become. That feeling of accomplishment is almost impossible to ignore and can become a pillar of self-confidence. Itâs that knowledge you have that talent in your locker that works here.
As you can probably guess, the first step is identifying your strengths. From there, you can act. Remember, itâs all about building self-belief – knowing that you have a lot to offer even if you donât think so.
Set Realistic Goals
One element of life that can drag self-confidence down more than youâd expect is goal setting. Itâs easy to set goals – earn $1,000,000 or run a marathon, for example, but therein lies the problem. Goals are often too broad for our shoulders. Itâs not that they arenât attainable, itâs that the actionable steps arenât clear.
The answer is simple. Setting realistic goals enables you to keep track of your progress and not get swamped by the grandiosity of a goal. Instead of looking up at a million-dollar mountain, make your current ceiling visible. Earning your first $1000 or the next $10,000 might be more attainable and clear. The point is to challenge yourself, but not too far. Whatever the goal is, it needs to be within your capabilities. That way, you can keep it within sight.
A simple way to carry this out is by writing down what you want to achieve. Then, go through and ask yourself honestly how attainable it is. Itâs okay if your targets arenât as achievable as you thought. Reign them in and go from there.
Develop a Growth Mindset
Boosting your confidence is, first and foremost, about growth. As your self-esteem grows, your confidence does. It should come as no surprise that the growth mindset, a concept famously coined by psychologist Carol Dweck, makes it onto this list. Put simply, someone with a growth mindset believes they can develop their skills through hard work and practice. Itâs nothing revolutionary, but without it, people can remain stuck in their circumstances.
A growth mindset gives you skis to glide over the thick snow, allowing you to break through the thick of it and work towards long-term goals in all aspects of life.
Here, the first step is to acknowledge and appreciate imperfection, whether thatâs in yourself, your friends, your family, or anyone else. As a result, you can see growth in others too. Then itâs all about reflecting that behaviour in your own life. The things we donât like about ourselves arenât necessarily set in stone. They ebb, flow, and of course, grow.
Become Familiar With âNoâ
Perhaps one of the most immediate ways you can gain a wash of self-confidence is through a simple word.
âNoâ
Itâs absolute in its certainty and definitive in its brevity. Yet, itâs something so many shy away from. After all, while repeating things youâre good at does act as a self-confidence booster, recognising situations and environments that pose a risk to your confidence can be just as, if not more important at growing and maintaining confidence levels. For example, you may find that even though you like being with your friends, playing football is not your thing. Itâs easy for self-esteem levels to fall from there.
It can feel difficult to say no to things and people, but at the end of the day, itâs you that feels uncomfortable as a result. Of course, leaving your comfort zone is important for overall growth, but itâs also okay to know your boundaries and protect yourself from pain.
A lot of self-confidence derives from feeling in control. Becoming accustomed to the word ânoâ enables you to set up psychological boundaries, putting you in the driver’s seat. This way, your social and emotional wellbeing can flow more smoothly. The more you control, the better.
Putting it into practice may feel daunting, but it doesnât need to go that way. The next time youâre invited to a function that you know will damage your self-confidence, by however much, respectfully decline. Time will pass, and the sense of accomplishment you gather from choosing yourself over other people will only serve to push self-confidence to new heights.
Boosting Your Confidence Starts With You
For anyone suffering from a lack of self-confidence, it can prove difficult to live life to its fullest. Achieving goals can feel far away and unlikely. Daily life is often challenging too. That said, boosting how you feel about yourself isnât a million miles away.
Becoming more confident is all about how much you believe in yourself. When youâre being introduced to someone, do you feel proud of whatâs being said or do you struggle to listen? The more you believe in yourself, the more you will like yourself.
It all starts with little steps. It can start by saying ânoâ to an event you know you wonât like, or even simply setting a new, more attainable goal. Whatever it is, I hope it helps you believe in yourself more.
