Author: Greg Popham
Self-confidence is one of those things that I think we all struggle with at some point.
Whether you are an average Joe or Jane, or a professional athlete – self-confidence is crucial in our everyday lives. That being said, maintaining a healthy self-confidence is easier said than done sometimes.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when you feel your self-confidence levels dipping into the red.
1. Self-Imaging
Image what you are and you will be that…eventually. Positive self-imaging gives you confidence. Post-it notes on the mirror or somewhere else that you will see every day can be helpful.
2. Do Uncomfortable Things
Doing things that are uncomfortable is a great way to grow your confidence. Who knows? Maybe you will be able to do the Waltz or something? Just trying new things that are uncomfortable really boosts confidence when you find out that you actually good at them or have some potential.
3. Fail Often
Failing often helps you learn how not to be defeated. When you see the situation a second time, you will know what to do. Failing helps you learn and grow. It’s this process you will boost your confidence over your lifetime. The most successful companies today will be those that are able to embrace failure in all of its forms: They must fail fast, fail early and fail often. Only then will they succeed.
4. Be Okay with Being Wrong
You don’t always have to be right, just don’t worry about being wrong. Sometimes you have to take a stand and then admit that you were wrong. This is just part of a process of trial and error that helps you and others discover what is right. In scientific endeavors, there is usually a thesis about what the truth is and if it cannot be proved wrong, then it is right.
5. Praise Others
Thinking negatively about ourselves can lead to talking negatively about others. To break this cycle, compliment and praise those around you. This will lead to you feeling better about yourself and the cycle of negativity is broken. By looking for the best in other people, you tend to bring about the best in yourself.
6. Laugh When Encountering Frustration
If you can laugh off frustration instead of crying about it, your spirits will be lifted and help you go forward. This helps you think positively and promotes self-confidence about the possibilities of success.
7. Don’t let Other’s Opinions Affect You
If you let others opinions affect you it will stop you from doing what you think or know is right. Don’t let ‘nay-sayers’ get you feeling down, this only leads to negative thoughts. Try surrounding yourself with a few positive people and keep them close. Their opinions should help you with gaining confidence without a need to seek external validation. There are so many ‘trolls’ and ‘haters’ online that you should not succumb to their goal of trying to bring you down. Just ignore them and value the opinions of your positive thinking group of people.