3 easy steps to building your self-confidence

We’ve all had those moments — you’re feeling great, then something happens, and suddenly your confidence takes a hit.

It’s uncomfortable, but those moments can hold valuable insights.

Instead of getting stuck in the discomfort, you can ask yourself:
What’s this teaching me?
What can I do to support my own happiness and wellbeing?

The thing is, degree of confidence we have in ourselves is reflected in all aspects of our life.
Daily demands can erode our self-belief, and for most people it’s a challenge having to juggle life’s pressures and still be our “best self”. The good news is, no matter what challenges you’re facing, you can choose how to respond by building your confidence.

Taking small, intentional steps can make a big difference in how you feel.
Here are three of my favourite tips that you can easily put to practice every day:

1. Start your day the right way

Many successful people emphasise  the importance of the way they start their day. Personally, I couldn’t agree more. I experienced a huge shift in my confidence and productivity when I changed the way I start my day. For me, the epiphany was when I realised that getting up early and jumping straight into work was not helpful.

On top of that, the  demands of the day would take over and I could feel my confidence and enthusiasm diminish as I contemplated everything I had to accomplish. So, I turned things around!  Now I start my day by charging my batteries first: reading, listening to some inspirational audios and doing some exercise  –  everything else gets dealt with afterwards. What would your ideal morning routine look like?

2. Surround yourself with the right people

You most probably have a very clear idea by now which people in your life are right behind you, and which ones can’t be relied upon.  It’s important to focus on those people who’ve got your back rather than waste energy  trying to convince  those who are not. People are people after all, and very often the way they behave comes down to the way they are, not you.  If you notice that someone’s presence is affecting your confidence, take a moment to look within and consider what you can do to support your own happiness and wellbeing. As Eleanor Roosvelt said in one of her quotes: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” 

3. Build an attitude of positive expectations

I often say to my clients – positive thoughts build positive expectations. Expect to be effective, persuasive, funny, relaxed, popular. As you begin to focus more on this, you will notice that your daily actions will be steered towards strengthening these beliefs. So even if for some reason you are not quite convinced you’ll  be as effective as you’d like to be, you’ll still notice a change as your brain will look into ways of helping you be more  successful! It is almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Earl Nightingale summarized it very wisely: “We become what we think about most of the time.”

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