Become More Confident in 5 Easy Steps
No matter where we are in life, everyone of us is working to become a better person. And, for many of us, self confidence is at the top of the list. Learn to be self assured, and it spills over into all areas of your life.
So today I’ve put 5 together attitudes and beliefs that will bring a sense of calm to your soul.
1.) Know what you’re good at, joke with what you’re not.
Example? I’m awesome at cooking. No, I’m not talking about “I can make a decent brownie while looking fantastic in an apron,” I’m talking about if I had the money to be able to cook a nightly eight-course meal that’s what I’d be doing. I also can respectively hold my own on any basketball court or baseball field. I was a college athlete for crying out loud.
Bowling, though? Not so much. It seems rolling a ball down a lane toward a collection of pins causes me to have some sort of seizure right before I let go of the ball. I look ridiculous, and I know it. Folks, it’s no secret; I royally suck at bowling.
So what does this have to do how to become more confident? Simple: own your skills. No one cares if you mess up, they care if you don’t participate. My friends love taking me bowling because watching me is an added free source of entertainment. I get to enjoy myself and there’s no pressure. That guy on the end lane with the wrist guard and personalized bowling ball? If he falls flat on his face it might be something to write home about. But me? Please, it’s a usual occurrence, so no one really cares all that much.
Everyone excels at some things and falls short at others, and you’re no different. Don’t be afraid to show off when you can, and cut yourself a break when you’re, say, bowling.
2.) Take risks.
Folks I just wrote a recent article about dancing, and when it comes to embarrassing yourself on a dance floor there is one fact: as long as you try, it’s impossible to embarrass yourself. No one remembers the person who played it safe, they remember the person who tried.
And bonus, one positive makes up for all the negatives. I’ll give you another example. Last summer I worked as a lifeguard at our local pool, and after hours a fellow lifeguard bet me I couldn’t do a double front flip off the diving board. Challenge accepted.
After countless attempts, it was getting amusing. People lined up just to see me face-plant when I kept coming up short on the final rotation. My face and stomach was bright red and I’m pretty sure I was just one or two more from a bloody nose. But finally, finally, I nailed it. Perfect double front flip. I’m a goddamn legend.
Which is exactly my point: everyone forgot about all the failed attempts, they just went crazy for the successful one. So take the risk, the worst that could happen is you end up with a great story.
3.) Put some effort into your appearance.
I know, this may seem a bit shallow, but it’s not for other people it’s for yourself. I work night shifts, at a hospital, so when I’m not sleeping during the day I’m wearing scrubs at night. I can go weeks without wearing actual clothes, and it starts to weigh on me after awhile.
So last weekend, when my boyfriend suggested we catch a movie, I dressed up. I wore a flouncy polka-dot cocktail dress and some 5 ½ inch red stilettos. I felt awesome. And so what if people stared, I hadn’t worn real clothes in what felt like a month. My confidence was through the roof, and for good reason; I looked fabulous.
4.) Learn to accept compliments.
When someone compliments you, accept it. They’re not lying, they’re being nice. When I tell someone, “That speech was awesome! It was interesting and easy to follow. Great job!” I genuinely mean that they just gave an awesome, interesting and easy to follow speech. Don’t be your own worst enemy, when you do a good job take credit for it. You deserve it.
5.) Practice, practice, practice!
Confidence is a skill, just like anything else. Think of it in terms of reading or writing. You don’t try to read a book before learning your ABC’s, would you? Confidence is the same thing, it takes practice! Having inner peace starts with the small things and builds on itself.
Start small. Take the previous example; someone compliments you. Find yourself instantly answering them with, “No, you’re just being nice, that speech was stupid..” Stop. Consciously stop yourself and just say, “Thank you, I worked really hard on it.” It’s going to be difficult, of course, you’re trying to break a habit, but every little bit counts.
For a proven program to increase your self-confidence, click here.
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