Confidence without competence is a dangerous combination. Make it easy for yourself and only engage in Self comparison when you are assessing your progress. By doing this you will make it easier to keep at it when the going gets tough and your competence will grow day by day.
1 Spend time each day with confident people.
Their energy and inner strength is so inspiring that you will
find yourself feeling more empowered just by listening to them
talk.
And you can get tips from them. All you need to do is ask! Even
one good idea could point you in a whole new direction you would
not have otherwise considered.
2 Find a mentor.
Nearly all successful people have a mentor. You too need someone
who has already done what you are working to achieve who is
willing to advise you.
This person will help you to succeed even more quickly than you
can imagine. Remember, two minds are better than one.
When you have someone who believes in you and you have a plan you
believe in -- your confidence will soar.
3 Understand that confidence is only a feeling.
Have you ever felt confident? If you have ever felt confident
in any situation then you can feel confident again in the future.
How? By re-accessing that confident feeling. This is something
that is worth doing every day. Spend 15 minutes a day reliving
occasions in your life when you felt confident. Imagine it all
in rich detail and pay very close attention to the feelings of
confidence.
After only a few days, feeling confident will become a good habit.
4 List your reasons to be confident
Becoming aware of why you can be confident will help you get back
on track. Make a list of at least 50 reasons why you can be
confident today. Include previous successes, your skills and
qualities, your support network and your goals. Put down
everything that pops into your mind.
After you have done this you will have tapped into the power of
consistency. You will be under pressure to be consistent with
your own logic that stated you can be confident.
5 Make a public declaration
Tell someone whose opinion you value that you will be confident
at a particular event. Your desire to impress this person will
cause you to do all that you can to be at your very best.
And when you demand more of yourself you will be amazed at what
you can do. You will start finding solutions to problems that
left you stuck and you will seek advice from people who can help
you.
6 Preparation makes perfect
Have you ever watched a top sportsperson in action and wondered
to yourself at how easy she makes it look? Or listened to your
favorite music CD and felt inspired by the talent of the singer?
Think. How did these superstars get to the top? Practice,
practice and more practice. I read an article about Pavarotti,
the opera singer, and he said he practices daily and he still
learns something new about his voice each day!
When you spend more time honing your skills your confidence will
soar because you will know with certainty that you can and will
perform when the curtain goes up.
7 Self comparison is key
Compare your progress in life with your previous results. Look
to the success of others to learn and not to measure your own
success.
When you put your focus on the daily improvement of your own
skills and abilities you can and will grow very quickly. And your
confidence will surge.
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently
produced a very popular free report: 10 Simple Steps to
Developing Communication Confidence. Apply now because
it is available for a limited time only at: http://www.howtotalkwithconfidence.com/report.htm