Confidence is not something we are born with, so many people find it challenging to build their self-esteem. A person needs to learn how to have confidence since it is necessary to succeed in most hurdles that life may bring. However, most people are unconsciously programmed from their environments to have bare minimum confidence.
Truth to be told, confidence comes from Competence which also springs up from confidence. Thus, nothing will ever help you build up your confidence other than having the confidence that you can actually do something. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
For instance, if you know how to swim, would you be scared of getting in the pool? You probably won’t because you have the confidence that you can swim. If you know how to cook, you will not doubt yourself whether you’ll do a good job or not if your friend as you to cook something for him.
As the Chinese-Canadian business magnate Dan Lok had said, “Competence is how good you are at something. Confidence is how good you think you are at something.” Competency is the root of confidence.
Suppose you’re flying into a country you’ve never been to before. Let’s say you are from an English country going to China or Korea without knowing how to speak their language. How comfortable would you be in communicating with the natives? How confident would you be talking in their language? Frankly speaking, you will be afraid and might not have any confidence to do so at all.
So, to communicate with them without setbacks and hesitations, you need to learn their language first— you need to perk up your ability to speak that language. Thus, you’ll be at much ease and esteem in front of them.
Basically, practice creates confidence. This applies to almost everything.
No matter what kind of desired result you have, no matter how difficult and intimidating they seem, if you would practice and revamp your skills, you will acquire that competency that will boost your confidence.
“Once you have taken action, over and over, so that you will have the skills to get the results you want— then you’ll naturally feel confident,” says Dan Lok. It is the ‘confident actions’ that construct ‘confident thinking.’
Now, the question is, how can you be confident in any situation? Here’s to answer your question.
Act more
There will always be one specific area of your life where you are good at, and that’s where your confidence lies. You might not be as good as Michael Phelps when it comes to swimming, but you can be very good, perhaps, with lawn tennis.
If you would think about it, the areas of life you’re most confident in are those where you consume most of your time at. On the other hand, the areas where you feel less esteemed are where you spare little to no time.
Balance your thoughts and ponder on how many weeks, months, or years you have spent on the things you are good at. You will realize that the areas where you ‘act more’ are where your confidence springs up. This is because you know what you are doing since you have gone through it over and over again.
Acting out repeatedly on a particular area is a powerful cycle that can foster self-esteem. It’s common sense to feel confident when you’re good at something.
Practice
“Once you start doing things with confidence that once scared you, your confidence increases; once you practice, you build skills; and once you see progress, you get more confidence,” Dan Lok stated.
One thing to focus on when you feel like you don’t have even a single ounce of confidence in a certain dimension: begin practicing. With practice, you get results, and that “result” will give you more confidence. And the cycle continues.
Perhaps, boosting confidence may be the reason behind the celebration of small wins. It is an act of acknowledging yourself, thus encouraging self-growth that drives esteem.
Discover your power pose
Finding your ‘power pose’ isn’t about standing in front of the mirror mimicking old-fashioned presentation. It’s more about using your body to psych up your thoughts. Confidence should also be seen outwards in how you handle and display yourself.
According to a famous body language expert, standing strong, having feet under hips, and head floating tall is essential to feel more confident.
Visualize your victory
Even before you enter a nail-biting situation, visualize having it work in your favor. If you think that things will go wrong, you will feel more anxious, which may negatively impact your confidence. To avoid this, you need to trick your brain into thinking that all things will go the way you want them to be.
Remind yourself that you have been in a stressful situation before, but you have managed to overcome it. So, what’s there to fear? Why lose your composure?
Smile
This may sound a bit weird but smiling amidst a grim situation can actually help you feel more confident. In fact, smiling can trick your body into feeling elated, allowing you to have a healthy dose of dopamine that can assist in building your confidence.
Don’t underestimate yourself
There will always be times when it seems impossible to get some things done, so you begin questioning the extent of your abilities. Nevertheless, never ever underestimate yourself and the things you can do before actually giving yourself a shot.
Whenever you feel so inferior, immerse yourself with positive self-talk and pursue your goals even with a tiny speck of doubt. Avoid comparison and focus on your own journey.
Be yourself
Although it’s pretty hard to defy thoughts of faking yourself to have other people like you, staying true to your core is still the best thing you can do to boost your confidence. Instead of getting your confidence by being fake, just be you.
If you lack assertiveness in who you are, you will sink into an ocean of self-doubt. But when you learn how to accept yourself entirely, you will feel so comfortable just ‘being you’ and eventually perk up your confidence in whatever the circumstance may be.
