Confidence – many of us long to be more outgoing, more secure within ourselves and simply more confident all around. If you currently don’t perceive yourself as a confident person or wish to develop more confidence, you’ll be pleased to learn that confidence is something which can be built upon.
Here are our top tips for building unstoppable confidence:
* Start Small. Just like Rome wasn’t built in a day, you can’t expect to instantly change your confidence levels. By taking small, daily steps towards your goal, however, you will undoubtedly start to see a difference.
* Set yourself one confidence-boosting exercise everyday. It can be to simply say hello to the stranger standing next to you at the checkout line or smiling at someone on the street. These small steps really add up to the overall effect of your confidence levels. The trick is to start small and to make it part of your regular routine. Then little by little add several other confidence-boosting exercises to your day.
* Visualize. Visualizing what you want will help you get one step closer to achieving your goal. Set aside a time each day where you focus on building your confidence. Visualize in your mind what life would be like if you had more confidence. See yourself giving a talk at a conference, confidently speaking to new clients, going up to someone at a party and starting a conversation – whatever situation you would like to make a reality, picture it your mind first.
This picture will be set in your subconscious and new patters within you will start to emerge. It will take a little time and ideally you should visualize on a daily basis. Seeing as it will only take five to ten minutes of your time and may make such a big difference it’s certainly worth a shot, isn’t it?
* Put Yourself Out There. This may sound scary at first, and in many cases it is, but sometimes you just have to throw yourself into a situation in order to get over it. If public speaking is your downfall, for example, how about booking a small talk or class that you can privately run. This way, you’re in control of the content and the number of people attending.
Understandably you may be very nervous at first, but did you know that most people can’t notice what may seem like extreme stage fright to you? Many speakers have admitted to feeling incredibly nervous during speeches and yet their audience usually doesn’t have a clue that the person was even slightly nervous.
What may appear as extreme to you, may simply appear as a slight case of nerves to others. In fact, it may not be noticeable at all. And once you’ve given one talk, then future ones will become easier. You’ll also feel incredibly proud of having done it – a sure confidence booster.
* Fake It. Experts say that confidence levels can be built by simply faking it until you achieve it. And body language is quite an important factor in this process. When you walk into a room, stand up tall, smile and make eye contact with people. Tell yourself you’re a confident person and go up to someone and say hello with a friendly smile.
When you’re standing in a group or speaking to someone, watch your body language. Crossed arms and hunched shoulders will make you appear guarded. However, placing your arms at the side or front of your body and squaring your shoulders will make you appear strong and open.
* And don’t forget to smile. Sometimes all it takes is a friendly smile to let people know that you’re approachable. In many cases, people will actually approach you if you show you are open and confident.
