How To Become More Confident
We all have flaws, although many of the factors affecting self confidence are beyond your control, there are a number of things you can consciously do to build self confidence. Even if your physical appearance or social skills aren’t what you wish they were, that doesn’t have to stop you from being confident. Here’s how to believe in yourself.
Dress Well and take care of yourself - When you don’t look good, it changes the way you carry yourself and interact with other people. Use this to your advantage by taking care of your personal appearance. This doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot on new clothes. One great rule to follow is “spend twice as much, buy half as much”. Rather than buying a bunch of cheap clothes, buy half as many select, high quality items. Also eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise. Don’t abuse your body, don’t overload it, and don’t deny it any of the things it needs. At the same time, don’t obsess.
Improve your posture - Similarly, the way a person carries herself tells a story. People with slumped shoulders and lethargic movements display a lack of self confidence. They aren’t enthusiastic about what they’re doing and they don’t consider themselves important. By practicing good posture, you’ll automatically feel more confident. Having good posture can actually make you feel more confident. Good posture also helps with deep breathing, which helps with feeling calm and relaxed.
Find your passion - Whether it’s football, martial arts, dancing, or basket weaving, you will feel confident pursuing that endeavor by recognizing what you enjoy doing the most. More importantly, you’ll be enjoying your progress.
Know your strengths and weaknesses -Learning who you are doesn’t happen overnight.
A good start is to identify your strengths and weaknesses and then weigh those against what you enjoy. (If you’re great in sales, but you actually can’t stand sales jobs, then it doesn’t really matter if you have confidence there. Unless it’s all about ego—but does that really make you happy?) It might help to list five things you do well that you enjoy, and five things you’d like to do well. Make an effort to utilize some of the first list and work on some of the second every day. As you use your strengths and improve where there’s room to grow, you’ll develop both confidence and fulfillment simultaneously.
