Developing Confidence

“Confidence & Staying Positive”

Building Confidence:
Confidence is probably one of the most important attributes to success. We can have many skills, but if we lack the confidence to act them out, we will not put ourselves in positions that will generate success. This will then lead to lowering our confidence and self-esteem and so the cycle begins.
But how do we develop confidence?

Here are five vital factors to think about:

1. Confidence comes from our beliefs about making mistakes. We all make mistakes in learning. How we view this feedback affects whether we try again, or evaluate the feedback constructively. If we evaluate feedback constructively, we will not get destroyed emotionally. This will keep the feedback on our mistakes in the correct perspective.

2. Confidence not only comes from the feedback of others, but from how we give ourselves positive feedback. One would think that if someone receives commendation from another, they would translate this into confidence. This is not always the case. Our beliefs about ourselves can determine the extent to which we filter out any positive comments, or use them to build our own confidence.

3. We are all subject to the cycle of our beliefs, whether positive or negative.
A POSITIVE IMAGE:
• Leads to BELIEF and CONFIDENCE

• Which leads to EAGERNESS and ENTHUSIAM

• Which leads to WHOLE-HEARTED ACTION and PASSION

• Which reinforces SUCCESS and CONFIDENCE

• Which leads to a POSITIVE IMAGE.
Alternatively,
 A NEGATIVE IMAGE:

• Leads to DOUBT

• Which leads to HESITATION

• Which leads to HALF-HEARTED or DELAYED ACTION

• Which encourages FAILURE

• Which reinforces a NEGATIVE IMAGE
 4. Confidence comes from allowing ourselves to grow into bigger and bigger situations. No one develops a high level of confidence through one experience. We all need to build up slowly by doing many smaller things. This means allowing ourselves opportunities that may not ultimately be appealing, or our final goal. However, these smaller things will develop other opportunities and create confidence at these lower levels.

5. Confidence comes from seeking out feedback from experts and receiving this internally. We do not always get feedback. Often we have no idea whether what we are doing is of value. By seeking this feedback, we are giving ourselves the opportunity to boost our confidence, by benchmarking it against those who, either have the credibility, or we perceive they have.

This may mean being proactive and moving out of our comfort zone, but getting this evaluation can be so valuable in developing our confidence to higher levels.

Which one of these elements do you most need to work on?
What do you need to do today to build your confidence and self esteem?