Confidence is one of those game-changing qualities – like courage, integrity, and communication – that is incredibly valuable. It’s an amplifier of quality and success, and one of the most helpful attributes a person can have.
Confidence, or a lack of it, is one of those characteristics that is infectious. It goes beyond the standard advice of “fake it till you make it.” The moment you “try” to act confident, you’ve already lost. As soon as you “act” more confident, you are already pretending.
To put it simply, true confidence is a feeling of self-assurance from the appreciation of our abilities or qualities. Though it can be challenging to achieve, true confidence is something that can fuel your motivation and empower you to achieve your very best results.
Let’s take a look at seven proven hacks that you can use to grow your self-confidence dramatically.
Do Something That Scares You Every Day
In the same way that pressure forges diamonds, doing things that make you uncomfortable is, by far, one of the best ways to grow your confidence. When you willingly engage yourself in activities that force you to step outside your comfort zone and do things that frighten you, your confidence benefits in several ways.
For one, successfully doing things that frighten you is a great way to showcase to yourself just how much you are capable of, and overcoming such things is always a massive boost to a person’s self-confidence.
Doing something that scares you every day can also enable you to conquer your fears, and fear is a significant enemy of confidence. When you force yourself to step outside your comfort zone, you are likely to realize that there isn’t nearly as much to fear as you thought, and this realization brings with it a great deal of confidence.
Of course, doing something that scares you every day doesn’t mean taking unnecessary risks or putting yourself in danger. It does mean doing beneficial things that may not be immediately comfortable for you, such as going out and socializing with new people, giving a presentation at work, or embarking on some thrilling adventure.
Whatever stepping outside your comfort zone may look like for you, spending time doing the things that frighten you is a surefire way to grow your confidence in a dramatic manner.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
by Mark Manson
⏱ 10 minutes reading time
🎧 Audio version available
Get Clear on Things That Matter to You
True confidence comes from knowing what you want in life and knowing how to achieve it. While knowing how to accomplish the things that you want most in life can be a challenge itself, getting clear on what those things are is the first challenge that you will need to overcome.
Unfortunately, figuring out the things that matter most to you is often a lifelong endeavor rather than something you can solve in a day. Finding your reason for enjoying life takes a lot of reflection and thought, so it’s a good idea to start as soon as possible.
When you can discover the things that matter most you, though, you can look forward to a wide range of benefits, including a significant boost in confidence. Once you know what you want to be in life, you can figure out how to get there – and a person who knows what they want and knows how to achieve it is sure to be a person with a lot of confidence.
Dress the Part
Grooming yourself properly, taking care of your hygiene, and dressing appropriately plays a big part in your confidence. Dressing your best not only helps you gain the appreciation of others but can also help you appreciate yourself more.
If you are going to build confidence, it is essential always to strive to put your best foot forward, and this includes things such as how you dress and how you carry yourself. When you make an effort to dress your best, you’ll have a lot more reasons to be confident when you look in the mirror.
Of course, the difference in how other people are bound to treat you when you dress your best and put your best foot forward can be a significant boost to your confidence as well. Suffice it to say that it is certainly worth the extra effort to dress nicely and make sure that you are broadcasting the best version of yourself to the world each day when you step out of your home.
Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise carries with it an incredibly wide range of benefits, including many benefits that are sure to have a positive effect on your confidence and self-image.
Let’s start with the obvious: working out and giving your physical health the attention that it deserves can transform your body over time and give you brand new reasons to be confident in yourself.
If you don’t like what you see when you look in the mirror, know that it is within your power to change it. Ultimately, nothing better boosts a person’s confidence than identifying a personal shortcoming and putting in the hard work necessary to turn it into a strength.
Beyond giving you a new body that is much easier to be confident about, regular exercise is excellent for a person’s mind and emotional well-being. It gets the blood flowing and encourages your brain to produce several beneficial hormones. In other words, taking the time to exercise each day can put you in a mindset that lends itself to improved confidence.
Of course, given all of the other physical and mental benefits associated with regular exercise, making exercise a part of your daily routine is undoubtedly something bound to benefit you in ways that go far beyond boosting your confidence and is one of the most beneficial things that anyone can do.
Stop Procrastinating and Be Prepared
Confidence comes from results, and results come from preparation. It is difficult to build confidence if you are always coming short of your goals, and it’s challenging to reach those goals if you are prone to procrastination and a lack of preparation.
Take a committed stand against procrastination and always strive to come at your tasks with as much preparation as possible. Procrastination is a mindset, not a condition, and it’s one that is easy enough to overcome. Don’t allow yourself to put things off to the last minute. Instead, always strive to complete tasks as soon as you have the opportunity, and try to start with your most difficult tasks first.
Committing to doing the most difficult thing on your to-do list first thing each day is a great way to begin overcoming procrastination since you will be throwing yourself into the fire right out of the gate. If you get the task you are dreading most out of the way right from the start; it’ll be much less tempting to procrastinate.
Of course, being prepared is just as crucial as being motivated and overcoming procrastination. Try to approach every challenge with as much preparation as possible, and you are sure to start seeing many more successes in your life – and these successes are sure to grow your confidence.
Write a List of Things You Love To Do and Do More of It
The things that you love to do are likely to be the things you are good at, and spending time doing things you are good at is a great confidence booster.
While there is certainly something to be said for stepping outside your comfort zone and doing things that challenge you, there is also a lot of value that comes from indulging in the things you love the most and the things you are best at doing.
Almost everyone has at least a few things in their life that they enjoy and excel at, and spending time indulging these pursuits puts your strong points on full display. Any time you feel a lack of confidence or self-esteem, take some time to enjoy these things that you excel at, and your confidence is likely to return.
Write a What Not-To-Do List
When it comes to building confidence, the things you avoid doing are just as important as the things you do. Everyone has habits and tendencies that tend to hurt their confidence, from being negative toward themselves and others, procrastinating, and ignoring their self-care.
If you can identify such things in your own life that may hold back your confidence, write them down, and commit to avoiding them at all costs. You may not realize just how many hurtful habits and tendencies you have until you take the time to think about them and write them down in many cases.
Once your “things not to do” list is complete, though, you can identify the things that are holding your confidence back and cut them from your life.
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