7 ACTIONABLE STEPS BUILDING SELF-CONFIDENCE

Don’t let poor self-esteem keep you from achieving your dreams. Instead, take control of your life by taking small, actionable steps toward a more confident future.

WRITER: MARGIE TAYLOR

1 Prepare

Preparation is key. If you start with a plan, there’s a better chance of success.

First, pinpoint your current confidence level but don’t get bogged down in details. Give yourself a quick score based on a 10-point scale. Take into account your accomplishments, strengths, and areas you’d like to improve.

Next, decide what level of confidence you’d like to achieve. Remind yourself what’s important, and commit to making life changes to build your self-confidence. Document everything in a journal and refer to it as needed.

2 Start small

Building self-confidence is going to take time. Start by picking one small goal to accomplish and then do it. You’ll feel good about meeting your objective. Choose another slightly more challenging goal and accomplish it. Again, you’ll feel better.

Now, scale it up. As your confidence improves, pick more challenging goals. You’ll build momentum and your selfconfidence will begin to blossom.

3 Avoid negative self-talk

Pay attention to internal messages you’re sending yourself. When you find you’re thinking negatively, stop and replace the negative thoughts with positive ones. This may be difficult at first but becomes easier with practice.

An example would be if you’re trying to lose weight and catch yourself thinking that healthy eating isn’t working. Maybe you’re saying, “It takes too long. I’m going to be fat forever.”

Stop this thought. It might be helpful to visualize crushing it. Imagine pounding it with a baseball bat or squashing it with your fist. After you’ve crushed it, replace it with a positive thought. Say, “I can lose two pounds this week. I know I can.” Eventually, your self-talk becomes more positive with less effort.

4 Concentrate on solutions

Don’t focus on problems; focus on solutions. You’ll kill the negativity that accompanies problems, trading negative thoughts for positive ones.

When faced with a problem, seek a solution. For example, if you and your spouse are arguing a lot, it’s best to ask yourself how you can solve this problem. This question will turn your thinking around and force you to take the focus off of the arguments and onto ways to stop fighting.

There’s a solution to every problem. You just have to find it.

5 Learn

Increase your knowledge about your job, family, friends, hobbies, and life in general.

If you have a job interview, learn everything you can about the company. If you’re working on your people skills, study psychology. If your teenager is giving you a hard time, read up on adolescence and behavior management.

If you go into a situation knowledgeable, you’ll feel more confident, and that confidence will show.

6

Do something you do well

Do something you’re good at every day. Fold clothes, color a picture, or cook a meal. Improving yourself is a noteworthy aspiration, but it also can be exhausting. Doing something you’re familiar with and do well is refreshing and will keep you going on those days you want to quit.

7 Practice

If you’re going to a party, practice making small talk in your bathroom mirror. If you’re working on making better eye contact, practice on strangers at the grocery store. You may feel silly at first, but before long, it’ll become second nature.

Self-confidence is a mindset that must be learned and practiced before it is mastered. It isn’t acquired overnight and takes determination to maintain. However, once you’ve mastered it, your life will never be the same.

Presents

saturday, october 22nd, 6:00p.m. -10:00p.m.

come join us for a night of food, music, games and fun!

get your photo taken with the General Lee ribs and Fixins will be served!

$75 per person benefits go to: reception by:live music: sponsors: partnering media:

MAGAZINE sponsorships available… call dondi: 352-455-1727 for event information

352-551-5209 ruthhouseevents@gmail.com