Become More Confident

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” –Theodore Roosevelt

Self-confidence is a vital element of success. It is built over time and with experience. The lack of it can result in getting outshines by your peers.

When you have confidence in your skills and in your will to learn new things, you will be propelled towards a better future. If you lack confidence, the result will be lack of initiative and motivation to improve further. The lack of desire to try and experience new things is a key trait in successful people. Without experience no growth in personality and skills will happen.

Develop your confidence so you do not have to regret missing opportunities that came your way. Perhaps due to the fear of rejection, humiliation or failure, you are holding yourself back. Use these fears as a fuel and stepping stone. Overcome these fears and anxiety one step at a time and move forward.

Don’t take criticism to the heart. Accept them as a means of improvement and utilise the feedback to build upon your experience. Don’t let your self-esteem fall. Assess your skills objectively and work accordingly. Do not unnecessarily undermine your abilities and push yourself down a spiral of negative thoughts.

When you are confident in yourself, you will be able to command respect and authority from others. You can articulate your thoughts and communicate freely with your peers and colleagues. You will be able to lead and excel in social situations. The absence of this confidence will lead to lack of proper communication with those around you and uncomfortable social interaction.

Of course, no one is saying you cannot question yourself once in a while. Questioning yourself is necessary to evaluate where you stand currently in life and reflect accordingly. Lack of reflection might lead to overconfidence and that is not a desirable trait in anyone.

Confidence is not something that can be gained in a day or two. It takes time to develop. And yes, it can be learned; it is not a fixed attribute. It will take practice. But you can do it. Visualise yourself in the future successfully doing a task that you are so afraid of. For instance, say public speaking. Speak in front of a mirror. Imagine yourself repeating it in front of an audience. Eventually the stress and anxiety will reduce. Don’t focus on possible failures or humiliation. Instead focus on the positives. Focus on how you will have overcome an obstacle, how people will be satisfied to see you successfully deliver the results of the task.

Make conscious efforts to look at the positive achievements rather than cherry-picking the negatives. If you have severely inaccurate assessments of your skills and yourself, them that is just wasted potential. Don’t let negative emotions of stress and anxiety pull you away from a fulfilling future. Without being confident to take risks and accept failure there can be no gain. Take your time and do it your way, but make sure you start believing in yourself and become a confident individual with a strong sense of self.

Originally published on MentorMitr.