Self-confidence is the knowledge of your own self-worth as an individual. Break ups, job losses, unkind words and family problems can all affect your self-confidence, so it's important to remember that cultivating self-confidence is an ongoing process. Everyone has days where they feel scared, inept and unprepared, but those who help their self-confidence grow and flourish don't stay down for long. Improve your self-confidence by using affirmations, engaging in new challenges and preparing yourself for all of the success that you deserve.
Step 1
Prepare yourself for success each morning when you wake up. If you are constantly looking at the negative side of life and believe you are a failure, you'll fail almost definitely. Business website Mind Tools notes that through preparing for and committing yourself to success, you set a much more confident path to the things that you want. Instead of setting yourself up to fail through negative thoughts and feelings, make small and easy to achieve goals that allow you to feel successful.
Step 2
List your talents so you can visually see your worth on paper. Remember that talents don't only include those things that are outwardly noticeable, like a good singing voice or an aptitude for numbers. Talents can also be those characteristics that other may notice about you. Perhaps you're good with children or you make people feel at ease. You may be extremely organized or a good friend. By doing this exercise, you can see how your talents translate to your daily successes of having friends, excelling at your job and being a valuable member of society.
Step 3
Offer yourself at least three compliments per day, suggests KidsHealth.org, a division of the Nemours Foundation. Whenever you hear yourself offering negative feedback about your looks, abilities or lifestyle, replace the negative thinking with a compliment. You may bring yourself down by using unrealistic talk, for instance, "I'll never get this report done." Instead, replace the negative thought with a compliment and a more realistic statement: "I'm a hard worker and I'm doing my best to reach the deadline."
Step 4
Challenge yourself and master new abilities on a daily basis. The next time your supervisor asks for a volunteer to take on a new project, offer to help, even if it's not your specialty. If your church is looking for volunteers, offer to help. As you grow and cultivate your talents each day, you'll see just what a capable and worthy person you are. Challenging yourself allows you to expand your knowledge and talents for a better foundation for self-confidence, says Gary Mack and David Casstevens in their book, "Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence."
References
- MindTools.com: Building Self-Confidence
- KidsHealth.org: The Story on Self-Esteem
- "Mind Gym : An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence"; Gary Mack, David Casstevens; 2002
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