Hi FIP friends,
While feeling inspired by the podcast Her Power Hustle Podcast, “Got Confidence? The confidence factor for women in Business with @Carol Sankar “, a few ideas about Confidence came up to my mind. Here I share with you tips and steps on how to become a more confident person.
Your failures and setbacks are a springboard for more confidence
Challenging your failure and setbacks will definitely help you be more confident. How is that? Simple. First your confidence will be knocked down. For sure. But it’s ok because this is what it means to be human. We react emotionally to all types of factors that affect us. So be it.
What is important here is what you do with those failures and setbacks. It is in fact beneficial to your confidence. We say “We learn from our mistakes!”, therefore do so. Learn from your failures and setbacks!
Analyse what went wrong and list a directive to make it right next time round. Another setback!! Yeah I know, it sucks! But eh, you were able to overcome the previous one so why not this one!
Failures and setbacks are often associated with rejection. Well in my case this is what I used to feel like and it would get me so mad. Not succeeding in what I had planned was a real nightmare for me. I would not be able to move on for days because my failures and setbacks would be all I think about. What a waste of time!
The day I read about it over the net and realised that they were part of my journey to success was a revelation. As soon as it hits home, I saw them in a different light and took action immediately.
I decided to review my goals and to check what I had achieved so far. And guess what!! All I could see was PROGRESS. Progress with my learning, with my knowledge, in finding solutions to problems etc… It was such an excitable experience that I promised myself from that day on, I would embrace my failures and setbacks with CONFIDENCE.
I now see them as a reminder to take a pause and reflect on myself. It makes me feel so good. So yes, confidence grows after failures and setbacks as long as you keep a positive outlook. By challenging yourself to overcome them, you are actually adding layers of confidence to your well-being. And the thicker the layers, the more confidence you grow.
See any failures, any setbacks like a springboard to push you further in reaching your goal. Yes, that is it! Move back a little bit further to jump higher next time! Woohoo!
Every time I face my failures and setbacks, my confidence grows.
Keeping a Positive Mindset allows your Confidence to Grow
Being confident is a quality that you can acquire at any time in your life. And that is the beauty of it! I remember when I started baking – I am a sponge cake baker- I was confident in baking a simple vanilla or chocolate sponge cake for my family and friends. But the day I was asked to bake a cake for a birthday or any other celebration, my answer was a direct NO! I told myself: “Why not??”
I had been baking for 2 years already so why I couldn’t do it? In fact baking was not an issue but the decorating part was. I had tried a few times before and the result had been dreadful. So I gave up. I was not confident enough in my cake decorating skills and I was full of fear!! I knew I had to attack that fear but I did not know how to do that.
So I watched videos after videos until I felt comfortable trying one out. The week before I planned to decorate a cake, I boost myself with some “You can do it!” If she can do it, you can too!”, “I
can decorate a cake”, “I am good at decorating cakes”, “People love my decorated cakes” etc…” That fear was slowly transforming itself into confidence. My mind was getting prepared for the challenge. I repeated these mantras every day.
But I wanted to feel that growth of confidence inside me. So I wrote them down and stuck them on my wardrobe door, on my kitchen cupboard doors, in the corridor and inside bathroom door! When the day arrived I was feeling so happy to practise my cake decorating skills. I was ready and my confidence was at the forefront of my mind this time! I practised decorating until I was satisfied with the result.
Feeling more confident in myself, I decided to bring another freshly decorated cake to my workplace to share with colleagues the next day. By the time they saw the cake, all I got was compliments!! For the decoration and for the taste!! I was in awe.
I am telling you, Confidence IS definitely in the Mind.
Encourage yourself to try something you fear. Do it step by step. Little by little until you reach your goal. Psych yourself up and believe that you can achieve it. Your positive thinking will give you that confidence you crave. Absolutely.
I am positive and so is my confidence!
Be Confident to act on your goals
My positive thinking and my confidence are inseparable twin sisters. That the way I see them. They are an inseparable pair and I nurture them with lots of praise and encouragement in all situations.
I certainly solicit them when acting on my goals. 
They are the decision- makers and they love that role! I watch them discuss with each other, argue, negotiate and finally agree. They are always present when I set and review my goals and they expect delivery.
They advise me when I am hesitant and they guide me when I am lost. The 3 of us are the A team!
My goals are set in small achievable steps as it’s easier for me to complete each task and above all to see the progression. Every time a task is achieved I feel my confidence growing and I feel really good about myself. This is what keeps me going because I love that feeling. I want to feel it again and again.
When you are confident you can set yourself any goals – what am I saying!- any ambitious goals and act on them. You are in fact in a state of mind where you feel happy and secure about your actions. And it is an amazing feeling! You don’t worry about any obstacles that you may face because you know deep down that they will be dealt with confidently and you will work out a solution. So my advice is to tell yourself this:
I always act on my goals with confidence!
Your Confidence brings you opportunities
What I have noticed about being confident is that it also brings you opportunities.
Previously, I had told you that I used to refuse to decorate cakes because I was not confident enough to try again after my many setbacks. But when I started believing in myself, taking action on my fear, feeling confident, it brought me opportunities.
Yes! I opened myself to a new market thanks to my confidence! I didn’t just bake for my family and friends anymore. I baked for my colleagues, friends of colleagues, their children, my banker, my hairdresser, friends of my hairdresser etc… They were asking me for cakes and I decorated them simply. And I did it with pleasure because I was finally confident in my abilities.
Today I totally believe that your confidence will first benefit your mind and body and then it will result in bringing more opportunities into your life. Here I am giving you a few examples that I experienced myself:
1. Your mind
Your confidence will help you-
- think positively
- identify your assets
- feel more independent
- make decisions
2. Your body
Your confidence will help you-
- express your needs
- become proactive
- create and write new ideas
- meet new people
My confidence opens the door of opportunities
Isn’t it great to feel confident?? Isn’t it a beautiful feeling to have??
YES, IT IS!
So start feeling confident today! Be positive, set your goals and take action!
Have you grown in confidence after a specific event in your life?
Do you have other strategies for being more confident?
Share it here. It could help someone somewhere.
Be Blessed and Feel Inspired. ;D
The Podcasts Lover
I learnt about my self-worth when I stood up to my children’s father and then left him. I used to ask myself many questions like why I stayed for so long in such an unhappy and unhealthy relationship that seemed to be destroying only one person: ME. I realised that I had unconsciously put my self-worth on the side. I had left it…somewhere… didn’t even know where to look for it… I didn’t really care… I was too much in pain…. Too exhausted to look for it anyway… [sigh].
Your self-worth is most important to your well-being because it defines how much you value yourself, you love yourself. To love another you must love yourself first! So acknowledging your self-worth is telling yourself you are important, you care about yourself, YOU ARE WORTH IT.
it, the more beautiful it becomes. It’s the same here. At the beginning, it won’t be easy to keep nurturing your self-worth especially if you are not used to it. You’ll have your ups and downs. It is normal, don’t worry!
Hi FIP friends,
Feeling Inspired by Podcasts (FIP) 