3 Strategies I’ve Used To Be More Confident
3 Strategies I’ve Used to Become More Confident.
“Put all excuses aside and remember you are capable” – Zig Ziglar.
I always used to be a shy person, and would often hold myself back. I had a voice, but was afraid to use it at the risk of what others may think of me. It’s safe to say, I’ve come a long way since those days. I’ve learned the value of investing in myself, and being able to put my best foot forward. I’ve learned to overcome my fears. And I’ve also learned to not care so much about what others think of me.
Through my own experience, I’ve learned that being confident is not necessarily something that we are born with, and it is certainly a skill that can be learned. Confidence has helped me to take on the world with more energy, conviction and determination. It’s also enabled me to take more control of my decisions, relationships and my life.
Here are three strategies I’ve developed in order to become more confident:
1. INVESTING IN MYSELF
Investing in myself is the best investment I’ve every made. Spending time, energy and resources to invest in my mental and physical wellbeing has had enormous impact on building confidence. I have attended numerous courses and have worked with a private coach on developing my presenting skills – which has had a profound impact on building my self-confidence.
Equally, going to the gym and working out has also helped me to build confidence. I’m a big believer that when you feel good, your confidence increases and you make better decisions. Working out consistently first thing in the morning puts me in a better state for the rest of the day.
2. BECOMING A WOMAN OF MY WORD
Confidence comes from doing what you say you’re going to do. When you make agreements with yourself and follow through with it, you’ll start to see yourself as someone who honours their word, even when no-one is watching. Honouring your word is what creates true self-confidence.
Every day, I set out a plan and make a commitment to follow-through on certain things. For example, as I am writing this article it is Saturday morning, and I set out a plan for all the things I wanted to achieve today. An early morning workout at the gym, writing this blog post, planning for Boss in Heels, cleaning and preparing meals for the week. There are so many distractions that could have deterred me from fulfilling the obligations I set out for myself and to be frank, no one would really know if I didn’t fulfil them. By following through with what I set out to achieve for myself, it makes me a woman of my word, thus increasing the confidence and faith I have within myself.
3. FACING MY FEARS
Learning to face my fears has helped me to become more confident. I used to hold myself back in fear of so many things – being judged, feeling uncomfortable or fear of failing. I’ve since adopted a few methods to help me to overcome my fears.
After reading the book by Susan Jeffers, I’ve learned that sometimes you just need to feel the fear and do it anyway. By adopting this practice, it has enabled me to stop, take a moment to acknowledge that I am fearful of the situation, and then go ahead and say yes anyway.
Mel Robbins has a methodology called ‘The 5 Second Rule.’ When you feel yourself hesitate before you do something that you know you should do, count 5-4-3-2-1-GO and move towards action.
These simple strategies can be really effective when pushing yourself to put yourself out there, and thus increasing set-confidence.
STRATEGIES TO BECOME MORE CONFIDENT
What are some of the strategies you’ve used to become more confident? I would love to hear your thoughts, please leave your comments below!
