Gaining Self Confidence

Conquering Self-Doubt and Gaining Self Confidence.

Everyone has times in their life when they feel inadequate and incompetent, but some of us feel that way more often than others. Many people are so busy putting themselves down they fail to thrive in life. They stop trying to learn and better themselves. Instesd of gaining self confidence, they become discouraged and depressed. Do you feel like you may be one of these people?

Maybe your self-doubt stems from some negative experiences early in your life. For example, if people made fun of you when you were a child, you might doubt your abilities even today.

• Traumatic experiences can cause a vicious cycle of self-doubt in your mind.

Parents, teachers and other children can sometimes unwittingly say things that have a powerful impact for both good and bad. So, how do you turn things around and stop that nagging voice in your head that says you’ll never be good enough?

Here are some tactics to help you erase that doubt and become more confident:

Let Go of Negative Criticism of Yourself.

This applies to both past and present. Do not let an idiot of a boss ruin your day by simply adding his voice to the tape player in your head. Realize that he may be taking his anger out on someone else because of his own inadequacies. People’s negative attitudes speak volumes about them, not about you!

• Stifle your tendency to criticize yourself. By agreeing with those who criticize you, you’re giving them all the power.
• Pay no attention to that voice in your head that’s saying you’re going to fail. If you stop listening, it will get quieter and eventually disappear.
• Reclaim your life by believing that you CAN succeed.
• Surround yourself with supportive people who believe in you.

Prepare Yourself and Do Your Best.

It is not enough just to think positively; you have to actively pursue success as well. Visualizing your end goal can help you make the right choices, but no one can do the work except you. One way to overcome self-doubt is to write down your positive qualities.

• Make a list of at least 5 good things about you. Every day when you wake up read the list. Reading aloud will also help you to believe the items you’ve listed.

The positive thinking will help prepare your mind to succeed, but there are other ways you can help yourself achieve your goals as well:

• Set reasonable goals. Decide what you want to do within a set amount of time. Keep your goals realistic so you can meet them. If you set unrealistic goals that you can’t meet, you’ll quickly become discouraged. Start out small and get bigger with your dreams.
• Get busy. Inactive people easily become depressed. To avoid this unpleasant situation, immerse yourself in achieving your goals. Hard work will always pay off in the end.
• Revel in your success. Self-doubters tend to think they don’t deserve to succeed. But you do! You deserve a reward for conquering your self-doubt and gaining self confidence. You deserve to be honoured for your hard work and perseverance. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Just remember you can’t reach the top of a mountain in one giant leap; it takes many steps along the way to reach the peak in due time. The same is true of success, achieving your goals and gaining self confidence.

Taking baby steps and attaining many small successes will bring you the confidence to reach your dreams. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the journey to becoming the self-assured person you know you can be. It’s a wild ride, but it’s well worth it in the end.

Try these tips to begin gaining self confidence today:

1. Get to know yourself better. One big obstacle that holds you back from living the life you deserve is a lack of knowledge of who you are. Sit down with a pen and paper, and ask yourself these questions:

• What would you dare to attempt if you knew it was impossible for you to fail?
• What are your dreams? What did you dream about doing and becoming as a child? What have you always wanted to attempt?
• What are your talents? What do your friends and family say you're good at? What abilities have you received compliments for?
• What are you excited about in your life right now? What's great about your life?
• What parts of your life do you wish to improve? What steps can you take to improve those areas? Whose help could you enlist?
• When you begin to get clear on who you are, what it is that is important to you and where you are headed, you will begin to feel empowered and in control of your destiny. This confidence seeps into every area of your life.
• Allow your passions to fuel your confidence and stir you to action that will move you forward in the direction of your dreams.

2. Fake it. One of the quickest ways for gaining self confidence is to pretend that you are confident already. It may seem silly at first, but if you begin to move your body and speak like you would if you were confident, you will find yourself well on the way to gaining self confidence.

• How fast does a confident person speak?
• At what volume does he speak?
• How does he gesture with his hands?
• How fast does he walk?
• How does he move his body?
• Pretend you're confident by moving your body in confident ways. Your motions will follow the movement of your body.

3. Learn from someone who's already successful. Confidence breeds success. As you accomplish the things you set out to achieve, your confidence in your abilities will grow.

You can experience this increasing confidence by trial and error. Or, you can shorten the learning curve dramatically through a mentor.

• Find the person who's the best at what you're trying to accomplish. Approach that person and ask them to show you the ropes. Ask them to show you how they arrived at their success and how they maintain it. With a mentor, your chances of success increase dramatically, thereby strengthening your confidence.

Gaining Self Confidence in yourself and your abilities is within your reach. Starting today, you can begin to feel the ease that comes from faith in your own abilities and talents. By applying these three strategies today, you can take seemingly small steps that lead to a giant reward. Increase your confidence and begin to experience the successful life you deserve.

Confidence in your talents and abilities is closer than you think.You were created for a purpose, and you're the only one who can fulfill that purpose. Each one of us has a lot to offer the world. All you need is to discover the passion inside of you and agree to leave your comfort zone in favour of a life filled with joy.

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