How to Master Self-Confidence Issues
Self-confidence issues are tricky things to master.
Think about it. We all know we need confidence, but it can be very challenging to build. In fact, I still have trouble with building self-confidence, and everyone who is successful will tell you that the struggle with confidence is an ongoing battle.
You see, the inner critic never really goes away.
However, the good news is that confidence is something you can build, just like a muscle. You can feed your confidence and it grows the more you use it.
Below, I outline 5 ways to build your confidence. You can use them if you are a person who, like me, struggles with self-confidence issues at times, or is unsure of themselves and their abilities.
1. Know who you are. You have value. You have worth. You are important and you have a purpose on this earth. However, you determine the price tag, not others. Until you understand who you are and your potential, you will never be confident in yourself and your abilities. There’s no way around it.
2. Affirmations. Affirmations have changed my life! I’ve found that just reciting affirmations once per day will reinforce positive thoughts, words, and actions. If you struggle with self-confidence issues, these powerful statements can help you reverse course on self-limiting beliefs that destroy your confidence and ultimately hold you back from your success. The key, however, is to say them aloud like you mean them and then follow them up with practical actions towards your goals.
3. Practice something that scares you. This is one of the toughest and yet one of the most powerful methods of building confidence, because you are mastering your fears. Fear is the enemy of confidence, but if you routinely practice facing your fears, you will see that they are not as big as you think.
If you’re afraid to sing, perform karaoke 1x/week. If you are afraid of public speaking, join Toastmasters. If you suffer from performance anxiety, join a team sport. Do something to routinely keep you out of your comfort zone and you’ll be surprised how far you will go.
4. Fake it till you make it. Sometimes you’re in a position where you must appear confident when you really aren’t. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. You may have been asked to give an expert opinion on a topic you’re not comfortable with, or perhaps you’ve been thrown into the fire on a high-visibility project with tools you’ve never worked with before. You simply need to put on a brave face to allay concerns with the rest of your team and learn-on-the-go. With enough diligence and tenacity, you will get through it.
This doesn’t mean you should lie on your resume to get a job or anything. However, you can use this principle of acting confident with the affirmations advice above to dramatically increase your confidence level.
5. Build experience. After a while, taking these steps will build experience. Experience is the surefire key to true confidence. Along with the practicing point above, you will begin to gain experience in the area you may be self-conscious about. This experience, if used correctly, will help you to learn and grow into very confident person. You will begin to make better choices during negative experiences and repeat the recipe used to form good experiences, building even more confidence along the way.
What areas do you struggle with self-confidence in? What do you do to bolster yourself?
