10 Ways to Gain Confidence and Crush Your Goals This Year
It’s no secret that confidence plays a big role in our lives and careers. I’ve learned that confidence is a life-long journey that we never really “arrive at”, and there are steps we can take to feel more confident day-to-day.
I’m a big believer that you don’t have to wait until the New Year to make changes or set new goals for yourself, you can do that anytime.
With that said, I often find January to be a motivating time for me. I’m recharged after spending time with family and friends over the holidays and I’m ready to set and achieve my goals.
If that’s the same for you, you’re in the right place. In this blog, I’ll be sharing 10 ways to build confidence that will in turn motivate you to crush the goals you’ve set for yourself.
1. Take small steps out of your comfort zone
I saw this awesome image on Instagram the other day that used the analogy of walking up a set of stairs in comparison with reaching your goals over a long period of time. Each step you take up the stairs feels small in the moment, and when you zoom out, all of those small actions are what really lead you to where you want to be. The same thing applies to building confidence. If you do one small thing a day that pushes you a little closer towards the kind of person you want to show up in the world as, you’ll get there a lot quicker than you think.
2. Get clear on your values
Another step to building confidence is to get crystal clear on what your values are. When we don’t feel confident, it’s often the case that we don’t have a strong sense of self at that/this particular time. This can be counteracted by mapping out exactly what we stand for and what’s most important to us. That way when we’re able to make quicker, more well-informed decisions (the mark of a great leader/confident person) and take pride in exactly who we are. For an awesome list of values to refer to, check out this list by Brene Brown (1).
3. Move your body
This one shouldn’t come as a shock – moving your body is one of the quickest ways to feel more confident (2). Not only does an activity like working out, dancing, playing a sport, etc. have a positive impact on how your body looks, the internal benefits are even greater. By moving your body, you’re showing up for yourself, becoming more present, and accomplishing a goal, which immediately sends positive messages to your brain. Hello, confidence!
4. Enroll in a course
Next on the list, enroll in a course to expand on one of your current skills or hobbies. I’m a big fan of taking courses and investing in myself for a number of reasons. The main one is that I always see returns that are far bigger than the amount I spent on the course (whether it’s financial, personal growth or otherwise). One of my favorite course platforms is Masterclass. My team and I have a subscription to it and are constantly raving about how much there is to learn from people who are truly masters at their crafts.
Another course I’d highly recommend? Encore Communication Coaching, of course. This is our signature communication and public speaking crash course and is an example of a course that, based on feedback from hundreds of my students, always yields positive results in their lives and careers. If you want to build confidence in your speaking and listening skills this year, head to this page for all the details.
5. Read more books
You probably don’t need me to rhyme off the benefits of reading to you. However, I’ve personally noticed a direct correlation between the number of books I read and how I show up in many different areas of my life. Ultimately, reading can help open your mind, shift your perspective, expand your vocabulary, and more. All of these things will affect how you feel about yourself and how you present yourself to others. Click here for three of my favorite books that have strengthened my communication and confidence even further.
6. Practice your communication skills
Given the fact that this post is part of a communication blog, I had to throw this one in here. Don’t just take my word for it though. Even Tony Robbins agrees (3). Working on your communication and listening skills is one of the best ways to feel more confident about how you show up in the world. When you have the know-how to effectively share your ideas, insights, and feelings with those around you, and are able to actively listen to what they have to say and share, there’s no limit to the goals you’re able to achieve.
Wondering where to start? Follow us on social media for tons of daily tips and actionable steps to becoming a stronger communicator, and check out this page for the full list of communication solutions we offer.
7. Create a vision board
One of my favorite activities to engage in is creating a vision board of my dream life. I find that visualizing the kind of life that I want and the person I want to show up as, makes me that much more motivated to take steps to get there. Years ago, as I was working to gain more confidence in my career as a young person, I would include words on the vision board that I wanted to embody and embrace in my interactions with others. By physically looking at words like “confident”, or “joyful”, or “boss” – it helped me begin to make choices that aligned with those things. Try this out and let me know how it goes.
8. Embrace failure
In order to embark on a journey towards confidence and accomplishing your goals, you must accept that failure is part of the deal (4). We often look at failure as a bad thing or something to avoid at all costs, when in reality, it’s the best teacher. By making mistakes and coming up short, you learn to pick yourself back up and become more resilient in the process.
9. Take social media breaks
As much as I love social media and all of the benefits it has, there’s also a negative side to it that I’m sure most of us are aware of. Seeing other people’s successes and “perfect” lives can be great in small quantities, and it can also affect our self-esteem when we feel like we aren’t doing enough because our lives don’t look like theirs. To combat this, make sure you’re taking frequent breaks to be present in your own life, so you can remind yourself that who you are is enough (5).
10. Track your achievements
I’ve spoken about journaling more times than I can count on social media. It’s by far one of my favorite ways to connect with myself and deepen my gratitude. I’ve made a habit of writing in the five-minute journal nearly every morning and night and I’ve fallen in love with the process. It allows you space to jot down three amazing things that happened during your day. By tracking your wins, you’ll always have these successes to look back on when you need a confidence boost (6).
Conclusion
There you have it. You now know 10 ways to boost your self-confidence and achieve your goals. These action items are a few of the things that have helped me over the years to be more confident within myself and grow my business into what it is today.
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