Having confidence helps individuals achieve greater success in life. When someone believes they can accomplish something, nothing can stop them from reaching that goal.
Equally important, however, is having a healthy self-esteem. Many people believe they can achieve a goal, they just don’t believe they are worth the effort.
Having confidence and a positive self-esteem can help you live a more fulfilling life by making your dreams a reality. Here are 3 ways you can build both:
1. Stop Self-Criticism in its Tracks
In order to grow as a person, all of that negative self-talk has to stop. Here’s what you do:
The next time you have a self-critical thought, ask yourself two questions:
- Is there any evidence that this thought is true?
- Would my friends and family agree that this thought is true?
There is a very good chance that the answer to both of these questions will be “no.” When you answer no over and over again, you will start to consider that you are something other – something more – than what you originally perceived.
2. Keep a Journal
This won’t be an ordinary journal. It will be one in which you will write down all of your victories. Writing down successes helps you to feel them and remember them better. The successes could be small, “I kept my cool when my daughter came home at 2AM,” or big, “I beat out 5 other people to get that promotion!” Write these down every day and whenever you need a confidence boost, reread what you’ve written.
3. Keep Your Commitments
When you agree to do something, it’s important you keep your word. If you don’t commit and follow through, you learn not to trust yourself and lose faith in your ability to get results. Empower yourself by always keeping your commitments, to yourself and to others. It can also be helpful to seek positive support and guidance from an objective third party. A therapist will be able to help you navigate your thoughts and offer tools for correction.
There isn’t a person on the planet that hasn’t been challenged with some form of self-esteem issue. Over the years, we’ve gotten really used to listening to that judgemental voice within us that from time to time, likes to wreak havoc on how we think about ourselves. When this becomes a problem is if our thoughts keep us from stepping into opportunity.
If you are thinking that months and years are passing you by, even with great intentions to step into change, but your results aren’t what you would like them to be, I invite you to schedule 20-minutes with me, my gift to you.
Confidence and self-esteem are feelings linked to our state of mind – i.e., how we think about ourselves.
Let me help you learn how to shift those thoughts!