Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit”―e e cummings

In today’s uncertain and fast-paced world, having a solid sense of self-confidence is essential. Whether you are showing up on social media, interviewing to land a new job, or giving a presentation at work, self-confidence is a must-have. The battle to obtain a supreme level of confidence is tough. There are days when I feel more confident than others, but no matter what, I still aim to keep a firm foundation in my belief within myself. But how can you ensure you are instilling this quality into your life? Here are five of the best ways to develop more self-confidence:

Take Time to Appreciate Yourself

Take time to appreciate what you have achieved and focus on your strengths. Remind yourself of the successes of your past and the skills you have learned along the way. Doing this will help you to understand yourself better and promote a feeling of self-worth. No matter how small or big the accomplishment, appreciate yourself and what you have done to make it this far. Did you make a friend laugh today? Did you make it out the bed and get dressed? Did you tell a loved one you loved them? There are always little small nuggets of appreciation that we can reflect on moment-to-moment to make ourselves feel better about who we are.

Change Your Self-Talk

Our inner dialogue is incredibly powerful, and so it is essential that we are mindful of the words that we choose when talking to ourselves. Making sure that you speak to yourself in a positive, encouraging, and compassionate manner can have a big impact on your sense of self-confidence. It takes work to monitor your self-talk, but it becomes easier the more you do it. It is also important to remember that we all may have negative thoughts, but speaking those thoughts take it to an entirely different level. Be sure that even though you may have a bad thought, do not bring it to life by speaking it out loud. Negative spoken thoughts can create negative thought patterns, which poison self-confidence. 

Create an Action Plan

Break down your larger goals into smaller, more achievable tasks and action points. Having something tangible to work towards and progress ticked off along the way is an effective way to build up self-belief. For example, you may tell yourself: “I want to exercise more.” That is a very broad and overgeneralized goal that can be hard to track. It is far more effective to say, “Every morning for the next two weeks, I want to go on a 10-minute walk, and after those weeks, I will increase my time to 15 minutes”. That is an actionable way to break down your goals to create an action plan and build momentum. 

Take Risks

It can be easy to stay in our comfort zones, but life is all about learning, stretching, and growing. Taking a step forward and trying something new or uncomfortable can be a positive way to open up and develop greater self-confidence and other skills. Apply for that job, send that cold email, or move to another city. Taking risks makes life more exciting, and doing so will program your mind so that you can take on any opportunity. 

Surround Yourself with Support

Having people around who you trust and who will listen without judgment can be incredibly beneficial. This kind of close, reliable support can help us to work through and conquer any fears or anxieties that may be holding us back and increase our self-confidence. Aim to find one person that can show you some love and support; that person can be anyone from your childhood best friend to your Mom. People oftentimes underestimate the value that authentic support can have on a person. 

Self-confidence is an invaluable trait to have, and by following these tips, you will be well on your way to developing and adding it to your own life.

Be Inspired.