Ever wonder how some people manage to form relationships easily, get great jobs and win awards? More often than not, it is due to their personalities. Not everyone is born having self-confidence and personal poise. Fortunately, these are skills that you can develop. Confidence is usually just a matter of overcoming your apprehensions. Personal poise is a sense of balance that more often than not comes with having a healthy self confidence.
Step 1
Practice sitting and standing up straight. Although this might sound trivial, you will automatically feel more confident when you sit with your shoulders straight and your head lifted (the way leaders present themselves).
Step 2
Arrive prepared for whatever occasion you find yourself in. Confidence in most classroom, job interview, presentation or speech-giving settings comes with knowing what you will speak about and being able to anticipate questions others may have for you. Know what topics will likely come up in the various social situations you find yourself in (including the latest news, politics, wine or art topics).
Step 3
Participate and join conversations with others by speaking up without trying to overwhelm or dominate others with your knowledge. Ask intelligent questions. Discuss the answers with others instead of arguing about them.
Step 4
Take a public speaking course. Fear of speaking in public is the number one fear in the world (even greater than the fear of death). Overcome your fear by practicing effective ways of communicating in public in a class setting so that you can receive feedback on your presentations and have a setting to practice for a critical presentation you might have to make for a job.
Step 5
Slow down to develop more personal poise. The reason people are clumsy is because they feel nervous. Take a few moments to breathe deeply and calm yourself before you enter a situation that causes you to feel stress.
Step 6
Practice yoga and meditation to help you develop a deeper sense of peace and calm, which can help you also feel more confident and assured in any situation. Make sure to practice regularly for the best results (do so daily if possible).
Tips and Warnings
- Practicing things like greetings, handshakes and answers might feel silly, but practice always makes doing anything easier when it comes time to do so in an important setting (such as a job interview).
- Don't try too hard. Be gracious and friendly, but know when to back off and stop talking.
References
- SelfImprovementIdeas: Building Self Confidence and Personal Poise
- Manners Made Easy for Teens: 10 Steps to a Life of Confidence, Poise, and Respect; Moore, June; March 2007
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