Being confident definitely does not mean one will not experience nervousness or anxieties and that it is easy to expand comfort zones. Being confident means taking the necessary initiatives or first steps to keep exploring your strengths and area of improvements. Recall how you felt when you were new to your role, how you dealt with shortcomings and insecurities, and how you focused on your strengths, vision and goals to help achieve what you aimed for. The first time or day of doing anything is never the same as today or yesterday. Along the way, we learn and understand the nitty gritty, and develop the confidence.

Additionally, confidence in one area doesn’t mean confidence in all areas. Confidence levels are high when we are experts in certain areas or have deeper understanding of the subject matter, while the confidence level maybe low at the beginning of starting something new. This is why you have keep going at it.

Confident people possess the following traits:

  • They understand their strengths and weaknesses.
  • They take calculated chances and measured actions to succeed in their goals.
  • They are open to face their nervousness and work on their shortcomings.
  • They accept their weaknesses and genuinely work towards being better.

Most people tell you confidence is mostly faking it to make it, but it does not always have to be the case. There are certain aspects that you can develop and implement to feel confident inside and outside:

Refine Intrapersonal Communication

First and foremost, how do you talk to yourself? Is your intrapersonal communication of a negative, self-critical and demeaning nature? Is your intrapersonal communication focused on shortcomings and blaming yourself or others? Or is your intrapersonal communication realistic? That is, while you know your strengths, you also understand your limitations. You focus on solving your problem. You take offensive and critical feedback with a pinch of salt and always work on improvement.

Adopt Brick-by-Brick Approach

People who work on a brick-by-brick approach start with small and easy steps. They are open to learn and seek help at difficult stages. If the need be, they are comfortable to own their limitations and consult the right resources.

Work on Non-Verbal Expressions

Good eye contact and a smile goes a long way. Straight body posture, firm handshakes, basic social etiquettes, ironed and properly fitted clothes, and footwear have their ways of contributing to confidence.

Reflect on your Growth Journey

Evaluate yourself and understand how far you have progressed. Think back on the positive feedbacks you receive and how your general approach makes others feel. Occasionally, connect with people whose opinions matter to you and have deeper conversations where they can rightly mentor you.

Follow Discipline and Fitness Routines

It helps to stay structured, focused, and clear in the head. It helps to reduce insecurity and negativity thus increasing focus on solutions, overcoming obstacles rightly and strengthening the body. Feeling confident inside and outside is also a continuous effort. There are moments in life where confident people still feel lost, dejected, experience failures and rejections and more, but the difference is the attitude that they have as they work through it.

If you find yourself struggling with confidence and self-esteem issues, please approach our in-house counsellor, Ms. Harshali Kotekar, for more accurate advice.