Whenever your friends try something new, you probably stand right next to them, telling them they can do it. Then, when the spotlight is turned on you, you hide in the corner, expecting to fail. That’s because you don’t have self-confidence. Fortunately, you can learn how to be more confident. All you need to do is practice some techniques for thirty days and you will notice a marked improvement in your confidence. Then you will be your biggest cheerleader, which means you will be able to be successful in your work and personal life.
- Learn to love yourself. People who lack confidence are often cruel to themselves. They think they aren’t good enough, or they don’t deserve success. You have a ton of positive traits. Go over each of them. Remind yourself what makes you a good person. Write them down or say them in the mirror until they become a part of your daily thinking.
- Spend time with positive people. Positive people can help you think of yourself in a positive way. That, in turn, will help you boost your confidence. With that in mind, seek out positive friends.
- Avoid negative people. If you spend all of your time with negative people, you will have negative thoughts. That will hurt your confidence. Limit the time you spend with negative people so you can become more positive and happier. That means if someone is constantly complaining or says that he will never amount to anything, you will need to pull away from him. That doesn’t mean you can’t associate with the person at all anymore, but you do need to protect yourself. You should also remind yourself that the person is negative and that is not how you want to be.
- Question your negative thoughts. Negative thoughts have a way of creeping in, even if you have learned how to love yourself. You need to challenge each negative thought that enters your head. Look at the facts that are associated with the thought. For instance, if you think you are not good enough to succeed, take some time to think about all of the times you have been successful. If you think you can’t finish what you start, look at all of the times you saw a project to completion. This will help you turn those negative thoughts into positive ones.
- Seize opportunities immediately. If you hesitate before seizing an opportunity, you will give self-doubt time to creep into your thoughts. If your gut tells you to go after an opportunity, don’t sleep on it or ask everyone you know about it. Go for it. Then, you can ride the momentum to the finish line.
- Believe people when the compliment you. People with self-doubt often deflect compliments. They go in one ear and out the other. You need to learn to listen when people compliment you and take what they say to heart. Write the compliments down when you get home. Then, look at those compliments whenever you need a positive boost. Include them in your daily affirmations so they stick with you for the long term.
Follow these tips each day for an entire month. Then, at the end of the month you will notice that you are more confident than ever before. By that time, you will also be used to using these techniques so they will become second nature to you. That will help you continue to stay confident, long after the month has passed. You can use that confidence to go after a big promotion, start a new project, or find some new friends.
