Did you
know that confidence isn’t something you’re born with? Astounding – I know!
In our
every day life, we’re exposed to so many stories and images of successful,
confident people, that it’s easy to assume they naturally started out like
that. And,
that they’re confident all the time.
Take Sheryl Sandberg, for example. Being the Chief
Operating Officer of Facebook, you could easily think she’s never grappled with
insecurity or self-doubt. But she revealed in her book, Lean In, that
she has at times felt like an imposter.
Another
example is Academy Award winning actress, Meryl Streep, who said to a reporter
in 2002, “I don’t know how to act anyway, so why am I doing this?”
Despite
what you may think, confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something
you learn through life experience, adapting to new situations, and doing those
things you thought you’d never be able to do.
You can boost your own level of confidence, and
here’s 6 tips to get you started.
1. Do Something
New Every Day
It’s
completely normal to want to stay inside your comfort zone and stick to what
you know. But stepping over the barrier that separates you from “where you are
now” and “where you want to be”, is a crucial step to feeling more confident.
You don’t
have to take up skydiving or make a drastic move to a different country to
stretch your zone of comfort. There are many simple, every day steps you can
take to build your confidence just the
same. Personally, if I want to add some adventure to my day, I pack up my
laptop, walk into town, and visit a coffee shop I’ve never been to before.
This
might seem simple, but the change of scenery and environment triggers a whole
range of new ideas, new perspectives and newfound confidence inside of me. Take
a few minutes to think about what you can do today to feel more alive and
inspired.
2. Wear
Confident Outfits
The way
you dress has a huge impact on how you feel about yourself, and how others see
you. If you wear clothes that are uncomfortable, restricting, or clearly too
big for you, you won’t feel comfortable, and you won’t look confident.
On the
other hand, if you wear outfits that mould your body comfortably, and you
incorporate a splash of colour, you’ll naturally feel and look more confident.
How do you create a confident outfit? There are two important elements you
should focus on.
First, darker
colours convey more authority. Second, high-contrast colours make
you stand out.
When you put together your outfit in the morning, find a
way to add black, charcoal, or navy blue to your outfit. Then, incorporate a
contrasting colour, such as white, yellow or light blue.
3. Use
Confident Body Language
We’ve all
heard of Amy Cuddy’s TedX talk about power poses.
Although
some may believe that you have to feel confident inside before you can project
confidence to others, let me tell you through personal experience, it can work
the other way, too. Power poses are
perfect for business meetings if you’re tired of never getting your opinions
heard.
They can
also work in social situations when you’re trying to win an argument with your
friend. The idea behind power poses is to take up more space and to use
open body language postures. So instead of sitting down with your arms folded
and your legs crossed, rest your arms on the armrests and claim your space.
4. Speak
With a Confident Voice
Most
people overlook the importance of their voice when trying to create a confident
image. You might plan carefully the words you’re going to say, but it’s how you
say them that matters more.
The
biggest mistake I see, even recently with a television presenter, is the
upswing. An upswing is when you create a rise in intonation at the end of your
statements, making your statements sound more like questions.
For
example, “On Saturday I went to the movies?”, or “On Saturday I went
to the movies.” Repeat these two sentences, the first with a rising
intonation at the end, and the second with a downward intonation at the end.
Which
sounds more decisive and powerful to you?
5. Don’t
Compare Yourself to Others
Comparing
yourself to others who have taken a different path in their life and have made
different decisions is a sure-fire way to a downward spiral of never feeling
good enough.
This is
one of the most common confidence crushers because you’re always focusing on
what you don’t have, rather than on what you do have.
Here’s
what I recommend: create a gratitude list of everything you have (tangible or
intangible) that you are thankful for. Whenever you start to compare yourself
against a friend or coworker, take out this list and read it over three times
to remind yourself of all the wonderful things you have, or have achieved in
your life.
6. Use Positive
Self-Talk Every Morning and Every Night
If you’re
going to take away just one piece of advice from this post, this is the most
powerful piece of advice you can take with you: commit to positive self-talk
every morning when you wake up and every night before you go to sleep.
When you start and end your day with positive, confident
affirmations, you can really change your outlook on life. About a year ago I
started this process myself. I created a mantra that I now repeat three times
every morning and every night.
The
mantra I use is really quite simple, and I invite you to use it too, if it’s
the right fit for you. The mantra I use is, “I’m worthy of success”. If
this mantra doesn’t feel right for you, you can create your own. But the most
important part is to commit to repeating it every morning and every night,
until it becomes a part of you.
More at: http://addicted2success.com/success-advice/6-habits-that-will-boost-your-confidence-and-make-you-happier
No comments:
Post a Comment