Five Actions for Building Confidence

I have learned a lot about life and business over the years that have become the core principles of what I live by. Among them you’ll find a common thread, how you treat and think about yourself has a powerful impact on what you can accomplish. Therefore, building confidence if one of the best ways you can help build your business. Negativity, or what I call “head trash” has no place in your life and in your business. So if you struggle with self-doubt or lack confidence, take these five actions for building confidence to maintain the right attitude, no matter what challenges come your way.

1. Surround yourself with the right people.

This has been so important for me over the last few years as I built my business. I surround myself with people that believe in me even more than I believe in myself. When times got tough, and they definitely do, I turn to them for the support I need to keep moving forward. Not only did they encourage and support me, but they also challenged me to grow even bigger than I thought I could. Find these people for yourself. It can be a combination of family and friends and business colleagues, but make sure they are people who help build your confidence. Trust me, you WILL need these people, and when the time comes, these relationships will be worth their weight in gold.

2. Don’t give power to mean girls (or boys).

It is an unfortunate fact that the more you succeed, the more people will try to bring you down. There are people in this world, unhappy with their place in life, that focus on dragging others down rather than making positive changes in their own lives. For some reason, they think this will make them feel better, though it never really does. What I want to say to you is this: Don’t let them. Don’t give in to the illusion of their power. Anytime someone tries to pull you down remember, it’s “their stuff” and likely has nothing to do with you. Take a deep breath, hold your head high, and turn to your support network for reassurance before giving in to the “head trash” and negative thoughts you might be tempted to fall into. This is part of why having the right people on your team and in your network are crucial to building confidence. They can help you refocus on what really matters and remind you how talented you actually are.

3. Believe in yourself every day.

Have you ever met someone who can’t take a compliment? It usually goes something like this, you give them a compliment and they brush you off or give a reason why they don’t deserve the recognition. The learning in this is that surrounding yourself with the right people only works if you are willing to accept and believe the positive things they say about you. If you are always second-guessing yourself or talking yourself down you will never achieve the impossible, and you might not achieve anything at all. Learn how to be a best friend to yourself. If necessary, think about what someone else would say positively about you and meditate on those things. Take them to heart. You are limited only by your own self-doubt. Wake up every morning believing in yourself and staying focused on what you can and will do to reach your goals.

4. Leave yesterday in the past.

On this journey you WILL fail, you WILL have setbacks, and you WILL get discouraged. What I’d encourage you to do is to not dwell on it. Or, allow yourself to dwell and wallow but only for a time. Have a glass of wine and a good cry and take the afternoon off, but come back tomorrow ready to take on the day as if yesterday never happened. Each day brings something new and you need to be at your best. Wallowing for an extended period of time is a waste of time that you could be using to press forward in another direction. Take the time that you need to reset your emotions, rebuild your confidence, and get the encouragement you need to jump back in.

5. Take the time to reflect.

Daydreaming often gets a bad wrap. Most of the time when people talk about daydreaming they imply an activity that is merely wishful thinking with no action to support it. But I have learned however that it is so important to take time to reflect on what is possible – because anything is! Take the time to wish, to dream, and to allow yourself to be open to possibilities. Some of your greatest moments of clarity can come from these “daydreaming” sessions and you can end up feeling inspired, encouraged, and motivated to pursue more. The key is to take action on your dreams once they have been realized and not allow self-doubt to convince you into thinking it’s not possible. Let your life and your business be as big as your dreams and you will either achieve them, or something far greater.

Confidence often follows knowledge, and a lot of entrepreneurs are afraid of what they don’t know. Join me at The Grow Grid Intensive November 3-4, 2016 to gain all the knowledge you need to succeed. Learn from six experts, over two days and go deep in the following areas: Growth Strategy, Branding, Marketing, Communication, Finance, and Legal. Find out more and reserve your seat today!