We have all heard the phrase, “confidence is key,” at some point in our lives. This catchy little saying often gets thrown into the mental trash can with the other overused mantras given to us all of the time. But just like the majority of these phrases, there is something beneficial to take from this confidence reminder.
To truly get what we desire, and often deserve, in any area of life, confidence is a prerequisite. I don’t have to tell you that the world out there can be ruthless! If others sense a low sense of self-confidence radiating from the vibe you put out, often times they will walk right over you.
In this article, we are going to touch on 5 ways to increase your confidence in general, allowing this effect to carry over to every other area of your life.
Play Off Of Your Strengths
I don’t care who you are or what you do each day; I can guarantee that you are good at something! Whether or not this skill is relevant to your job or social status, there is something that you do better than most people. Therefore, find a way to incorporate whatever this is into a facet of your life in which you don’t consider yourself to be good at.
Unless you have some extremely odd talent such as juggling chainsaws or blowing bubbles, there is almost certainly some aspect of your talent that can benefit you in things you might struggle at. Being good at something is such a confidence boost to the human nature. Always look for ways to incorporate your strengths into every area of life.
Design Small Successes
If you are experiencing a dip in confidence due to repeated failures, there is a good chance you have placed yourself in a pattern that is causing this. The human mind, as brilliant as it is, does not do a particularly great job of allocating the feeling of success and fulfillment.
Because of this, winning at ANYTHING often increases your own confidence concerning EVERYTHING. Taking this into consideration, allow yourself to experience success as often as possible, whatever that may include. Even little victories begin to build up overall confidence rather quickly.
Be Wary Of Criticism AND Praise
One of the worst things you can do is let your own confidence be based solely on feedback from others. In general, people operate under the “what have you done for me lately” agenda. If you soar sky high every time someone compliments you and the crash and burn with each criticism, you are not in control. Allow your own confidence to be intrinsic. This mindset places you in the driver’s seat, giving you control of the way you view yourself.
Stay In Your Lane
Comparison is the absolute thief of joy. Looking at others around you experience success should not diminish your sense of self, nor should their failures boost your own ego. In order to establish true confidence, your focus should be on how far you have come and your improvement along the way. Each of us in on a very specific journey, yours will be completely unique.
Compartmentalize Areas Of Life
At some point, we have all been guilty of letting a failure in one facet of our lives permeate into who we are as a whole. A mistake at work should never cause you to feel insufficient as a parent or spouse.
Remember that each area of your life is only a part of you, not ALL of you. Likewise, your confidence must not rest on one specific thing. Otherwise, very small mishaps can derail your entire sense of self.