This is pretty straightforward and doesn’t require much preamble. Here’s a list of ten surefire ways to help you increase your confidence. This article was inspired by a quote from Warren E. Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway: “It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”
Take a few days to try out each suggestion and see what could work for you!
1. Smile more! A lot more. Take the time to smile. It improves your outlook on life, it helps to make others feel better, and even if you don’t feel like it, take the time to smile and notice how your attitude changes.
2. Live for now, in the present moment. Don’t live in regrets. What’s done is done and continuing to focus on the negative aspects of an event only keep you focusing on the negative. Train your brain to begin to think about the positive aspects of the present moment.
3. Play up your positives. Everyone is good at something. Know what you’re good at and jump at every opportunity that comes your way. Since it’s something you’re good at, you’ll enjoy doing it and you’ll feel better as well.
4. Be prepared. One of the quickest ways to instill confidence in yourself is to be prepared for a situation, whether it’s a major report that is due, a presentation to be done, or baking cookies for the school’s bake sale. Whatever the plan, make time to get it done and relax knowing you’ve done your best!
5. Be positive. Pursue a positive “can do” outlook versus the “can’t do” outlook. Seeking to find the positive in something always helps to boost your confidence.
6. Pay attention to your thoughts. If you find yourself saying something negative to yourself, stop and instead reinforce the situation with some positive talk. Negative thoughts bring negative outcomes, and positive thoughts bring positive outcomes.
7. Monitor how the words of others affect you. Remember, it’s your thoughts that matter, not the comments or thoughts of others, and only you can control what you are thinking at any time. Start to change the way you think.
8. Start a gratitude journal. List five things at the end of each day that you’re grateful for, and over time you’ll have a record of all of the positive influences in your life.
9. Write your own script for the day. As you are getting ready in the morning, run through your day and in the process, visualize everything going the way you want it to. Visualize the meetings you had, the people you spoke with, and the results of the day. Visualize your success and it will come true.
10. You’re here for a short time, so when you begin to have negative thoughts, ask yourself this: “In ten or twenty years, will what I’m worrying about today really matter?” I think the answer is pretty clear.