Ten simple ways to increase your confidence

A lack of confidence in themselves is what holds most people back. Why don’t you use some simple steps to become more confident in yourself over the course of then next twelve months?

Decide who you want to become
Increasing your self-awareness and defining what it is you want to achieve is a great way to start to increase your confidence.

Why do you want to increase your confidence? Why aren’t you already confident? What will increasing your confidence allow you to do?

Unleash your potential
Speaking of goals, what about your potential? The vast amount of hours we spend speaking about potential, which in reality is an imaginative force, the perception we have placed upon ourselves that has ultimately been deemed 'the ideal.'

Educate yourself
If you want to become confident in any area, you need to educate yourself sufficiently in that area. To truly have the confidence to speak about a subject, you must first seek to educate yourself and understand it thoroughly yourself.

Be humble (learn from others)
Another person’s perspective can be of incredible value, and it’s not something you can dismiss lightly. No matter who you are, you can learn from others who have either; more experience, wisdom, knowledge, skills or just another perspective on the situation.

Face your fears
There is no better way to overcome insecurity than to face up to your fears. Is there much more I need to say?

Be truthful
Base your own life on a foundation of truth. There are two primary elements to this piece of advice.

How often do you deceive yourself and those around you? Lying and deception fundamentally distorts the psyche and contributes to stress, anxiety, depression and mental health deterioration.

Develop your courage to say no
Do you often find yourself in situations you’d rather have not been in? Are you struggling to say no to others? Develop the ability to say no, and avoid unintended consequences.

Be open to new experience
It could be as simple as taking on a new project, or exploring a new hobby. Try something new. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. It will allow you to grow and develop your character and you never know, you might find out more about than you realise.

Be decisive and have a definiteness of purpose
Do you stick to your decisions and allow the results to come to fruition before moving on to something new?

Make sure your long-term aims are well conceived. Don’t be impulsive with your decision making, ensure that each decision you make is a step towards your long-term goals.

Recognise your individual worth
Recognising your own self-worth is a hard one. As human beings we all have an intrinsic value that can never be taken away from us.