5 fail-proof ways to boost your confidence.
Your confidence and mindset are your most important business assets. Having the right mindset is what allows you and your business to make an impact on the world. If you are in the right mindset, obstacles become opportunities for creativity.
Confidence is not an all or nothing concept though. You may be a confident person one day and less than confident the next. Or it may be situational. If you’re suffering from a lack of confidence, try the following five activities.
100 accomplishments. List 100 accomplishments - big or small. It can be literally the time that you got an A on a spelling test all the way to the day that you started your company or made your first million. Keep this list handy for those moments where you’re feeling less-than-stellar.
Take a personality test - I recommend the real Myers Briggs test or a free online version of it like 16 personalities. It can be helpful to have an objective look at your strengths and weaknesses - particularly strengths. Write down the parts of your profile that light you up and empower you. For example, I am an ENFP and we are known for being great communicator. According to 16 Personalities: “Campaigners [ENFPs] brim with things to say, but they can be caring listeners as well. This gives them a nearly unmatched ability to have positive and enjoyable conversations with all sorts of people…” When I am feeling insecure about my networking skills, I like to refer back to this passage.
Write faux testimonials (for you or your business). Write 5 fake testimonials to yourself or your business - highlighting your accomplishments. Have you signed on a key client (or hope to)? Write a testimonial from their point of view. Or better yet, you can ask current or past clients or customers for real testimonials.
Create your gratitude practice. You’ve probably read about the importance of a gratitude practice a million times and might even be rolling your eyes, but I promise you that a well-executed and consistent gratitude practice will make a huge difference to you and your business. Make sure to create something you enjoy doing - otherwise you won’t stick with it. Some ideas: 1. Journal 3 things that went well that day (either at night or the next morning), 2. Do a gratitude exercise with your family at the dinner table (bonus for the cute items listed by the kids), 3. Exchange positives with a partner, co-worker, or friend daily etc.
Pick your role model…and channel them for the day. When all else fails, pick someone who has amazing confidence and model yourself after them for the day. It’s like a very specific fake-it-til-you-make-it exercise. Or better yet, imagine the most confident version of yourself and embody that as much as you are able to.
Remember, confidence is a mindset that you can control. Having a bag of tricks available to you to trigger you back to your best (and baddest) self can be a game-changer.
- Valerie