6 Quick Tips to Build Self-Confidence
Self-confidence is the feeling you get when you strut into class and you know you’re going to ace an exam. It’s the feeling you get when you walk into a job interview and you know you’re going to impress the interviewer. Self-confidence is simply believing in yourself—it’s a positive attitude about your skills and abilities.
Why is it important?
Self-confidence can help you overcome your fears and inspire you to strive for success. If things don’t work out as expected, confidence helps you try again. It can help propel you forward to experience exciting opportunities, meet new people, and influence the world. The most successful people on the planet are self-confident—that’s how they became successful in the first place!
Qualities of a self-confident person:
They know their strengths and weaknesses
They have a positive outlook on themselves
They take responsibility for their actions
They don’t seek validation from others
They persevere when times are tough
Tips to Build Self-Confidence
Get to know yourself
Knowing yourself sounds effortless, but it can take some work. It’s important to know where your lack of confidence stems from so you can focus on improving those areas to become more self-confident.
Adopt a growth mindset
"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions,” Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. once said. Adopting a growth mindset, or always striving to learn more and do better, will improve your confidence to try new things.
Step out of your comfort zone
Your comfort zone is…comfortable. When things get comfortable, life becomes stagnant. Leaving your comfort zone can be scary and unpredictable, but the reward of taking on new challenges and achieving your goals is glorious! And the more you work towards your goals, the more self-confident you will become.
Stand up to your inner critic
You’ll never feel confident if you listen to the negative thoughts that are telling you “you’re no good.” Think of it this way: If you wouldn’t talk that way about your best friend, why would you say it to yourself? You’ve heard it before—we’re our worst critics. And it’s true. Stand up to your inner critic and defy your negative self-talk with positive affirmations.
Surround yourself with people who support you
In the words of motivational speaker Jim Rohn: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” These people shape who you are, and you should spend more time with those who inspire, support, and encourage you, and avoid people who make you feel bad about yourself. Self-confidence is all about feeling good about yourself.
Acknowledge your accomplishments
It’s easy to lack self-confidence when you believe that you haven’t achieved any accomplishments in your life. Make a list of things you’ve done that you’re proud of, whether it’s speaking at a conference or learning to knit. Add to this list whenever you do something that you’re proud of, and review the list whenever you feel like you lack confidence.
