The key to more self confidence is to make sure you use three simple sources of information: You, Questionnaires and Educational Media.
The thing is that, a lot of people are looking for more self confidence, notably at the office to manage the daily situations and discussions with the superior. More self confidence as well as greater self esteem generally comes with a positive attitude, more motivation so therefore more energy to cope with challenging circumstances. Would you not want to have more energy?
Are you ready for a challenge? Let's do it.
The first source to become more self confident: You (free)
Although it might be clear that you personally will have to act in order to be more self assured, it might be somewhat surprising that you, yourself, can also provide the perfect solution, before searching for external support or advice.
So, what can you do to become more self confident?
1.Ask yourself whether you are really lacking self confidence. In most cases, we are actually lacking experience and therefore feel insecure at first. Which is natural, and not necessarily a reason to seek for support. There is quite a difference between being nervous while talking to the manager for the first time about a salary raise, than having sweaty hands every time you see this one person coming down the corridor. So, what don't you like doing so much? In which circumstances? Why?
2. Ask and test yourself with what area you would like to have more confident. Narrow it down, into a specific field, do you think you're, for instance uncomfortable in presenting? (Continue doing this step once you have worked on a few others to find out where you have made progress.)
3. Ask your entourage for feedback. Sometimes, individuals will not even realize that you are lacking self confidence. We automatically believe that they do know. If you are uncertain, ask people who know you well.
4. Observe yourself. Raise your self-awareness by paying attention regarding how you react in common situations. If you have an important meeting scheduled, use that meeting to watch your personal behaviour and learn from it.
5.Observe others: Look for that person at work (or at home) that you respect and admire and see how they (re-) act in certain circumstances.
6. Manage your (lack of) confidence. Most of us get nervous when speaking in public. Looking for a routine to cope with this situation sooner or later will make it more manageable so we feel more secure and self confident.
Is this plausible?
The second source to become more self confident: Questionnaires (at some cost)
Completing a questionnaire or a test can not only provide clarity on your field of improvement, it can also provide a great dose of self confidence. Below is a list of three quizzes and tests which I have personally completed and can recommend. There are plenty of other good tests out there for you to choose from, it really depends what you want to know.
1. Mind Tools.com supplies a (free) little quiz to check your degree of self confidence and provides some indication of action in the end. It requires three minutes to complete.
2. Strengths Finder 2.0 is a solid test to increase awareness of your strengths, for once not your weaknesses.
3. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is among the most popular tests on personality types. It is a good tool to remind us that people all have different character traits, and several of these make people more confident than other people. The test could be completed online which includes a personal feedback by a certified professional. You might consider taking this test connected with a classroom training, if possible.
The third source to get self confidence: educational media (at some cost)
Upon having completed a test like one of the mentioned, it is actually quicker to target the particular field of improvement where you are lacking self confidence. In many cases some form of test or questionnaire is provided in conjunction with a course, so, for anyone who is sure that you wish to improve your self confidence via a seminar or workshop, verify upfront whether there are actually tests involved.
Now, check out this list of references I use on a general basis:
1. Books (or e-editions):
a. "How to win friends and influence people" by Dale Carnegie - one of THE best books to increase self confidence in interpersonal relationships
b. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahnemann - a great source to help understand how we are thinking, which can have a great effect on our confidence.
2. Online courses: If you are fond of online learning, take a look at udemy.com or udacity.com. There are courses available on all kinds of topics, and they are affordable.
3. Podcasts: Similar to the above, but if you want to listen only to short information nuggets, there's quite a variety of podcasts on the market to go into detail how to build self confidence. For instance, you will find one great podcast by Steve Pavlina, have a look on his site.
To conclude and to come back to the question "How can I get self confidence?", pick out a few the resources mentioned, and give them a shot. One after the other. You could do the first quiz I recommended above, it takes only three minutes and it is free. That shall get you going.
I suggest you link it in your self development plan, in case you have one. That may enable you to complete the steps all year round without forgetting any. It is a process, and it'll take some time.
The thing is that, a lot of people are looking for more self confidence, notably at the office to manage the daily situations and discussions with the superior. More self confidence as well as greater self esteem generally comes with a positive attitude, more motivation so therefore more energy to cope with challenging circumstances. Would you not want to have more energy?
Are you ready for a challenge? Let's do it.
The first source to become more self confident: You (free)
Although it might be clear that you personally will have to act in order to be more self assured, it might be somewhat surprising that you, yourself, can also provide the perfect solution, before searching for external support or advice.
So, what can you do to become more self confident?
1.Ask yourself whether you are really lacking self confidence. In most cases, we are actually lacking experience and therefore feel insecure at first. Which is natural, and not necessarily a reason to seek for support. There is quite a difference between being nervous while talking to the manager for the first time about a salary raise, than having sweaty hands every time you see this one person coming down the corridor. So, what don't you like doing so much? In which circumstances? Why?
2. Ask and test yourself with what area you would like to have more confident. Narrow it down, into a specific field, do you think you're, for instance uncomfortable in presenting? (Continue doing this step once you have worked on a few others to find out where you have made progress.)
3. Ask your entourage for feedback. Sometimes, individuals will not even realize that you are lacking self confidence. We automatically believe that they do know. If you are uncertain, ask people who know you well.
4. Observe yourself. Raise your self-awareness by paying attention regarding how you react in common situations. If you have an important meeting scheduled, use that meeting to watch your personal behaviour and learn from it.
5.Observe others: Look for that person at work (or at home) that you respect and admire and see how they (re-) act in certain circumstances.
6. Manage your (lack of) confidence. Most of us get nervous when speaking in public. Looking for a routine to cope with this situation sooner or later will make it more manageable so we feel more secure and self confident.
Is this plausible?
The second source to become more self confident: Questionnaires (at some cost)
Completing a questionnaire or a test can not only provide clarity on your field of improvement, it can also provide a great dose of self confidence. Below is a list of three quizzes and tests which I have personally completed and can recommend. There are plenty of other good tests out there for you to choose from, it really depends what you want to know.
1. Mind Tools.com supplies a (free) little quiz to check your degree of self confidence and provides some indication of action in the end. It requires three minutes to complete.
2. Strengths Finder 2.0 is a solid test to increase awareness of your strengths, for once not your weaknesses.
3. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is among the most popular tests on personality types. It is a good tool to remind us that people all have different character traits, and several of these make people more confident than other people. The test could be completed online which includes a personal feedback by a certified professional. You might consider taking this test connected with a classroom training, if possible.
The third source to get self confidence: educational media (at some cost)
Upon having completed a test like one of the mentioned, it is actually quicker to target the particular field of improvement where you are lacking self confidence. In many cases some form of test or questionnaire is provided in conjunction with a course, so, for anyone who is sure that you wish to improve your self confidence via a seminar or workshop, verify upfront whether there are actually tests involved.
Now, check out this list of references I use on a general basis:
1. Books (or e-editions):
a. "How to win friends and influence people" by Dale Carnegie - one of THE best books to increase self confidence in interpersonal relationships
b. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahnemann - a great source to help understand how we are thinking, which can have a great effect on our confidence.
2. Online courses: If you are fond of online learning, take a look at udemy.com or udacity.com. There are courses available on all kinds of topics, and they are affordable.
3. Podcasts: Similar to the above, but if you want to listen only to short information nuggets, there's quite a variety of podcasts on the market to go into detail how to build self confidence. For instance, you will find one great podcast by Steve Pavlina, have a look on his site.
To conclude and to come back to the question "How can I get self confidence?", pick out a few the resources mentioned, and give them a shot. One after the other. You could do the first quiz I recommended above, it takes only three minutes and it is free. That shall get you going.
I suggest you link it in your self development plan, in case you have one. That may enable you to complete the steps all year round without forgetting any. It is a process, and it'll take some time.
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