self confidence challenge

Lack of self-confidence may be the number one reason people fail to achieve their goals, and it seems to be an ever-growing problem. I imagine this is due to a large number of reasons, many of them having to do with our rapidly evolving society. I’ll save that for another post. Right now, I’d like to discuss some ways that you can increase your confidence in a relatively short amount of time. whoever you are, you can certainly benefit significantly from an increase in self-esteem. What do I know about confidence? Well, I'm certainly not the most confident person in the world, but I’m infinitely more confident than I was just a couple of years ago, so I have some valuable insights on what it takes to increase one’s confidence quickly. It took me years to figure it out, but it doesn’t need to take you that long. If you use even a few of the suggestions I give you, it’s very likely that you will notice a dramatic increase in your confidence within a few short weeks, perhaps even sooner.

Here are 8 suggestions that will help you double your confidence quickly. Do the following on a daily basis and watch as your confidence steadily increases:

1. Write in a journal

Oftentimes, we go through our lives completely unaware of our own thought patterns, which are responsible for our behaviour, and so we never have the opportunity to change them and improve our character. Writing in a journal is one of the best ways to become more aware of your thoughts because it’s a deeply introspective practice. When your thoughts are on paper, you can look at them objectively and clearly see where your thinking is “flawed.” When you write in a journal on a daily basis, you give yourself the opportunity to correct many of those flaws and take on a more positive outlook. This simple practice is life-changing if done consistently. Every day, aim to write for at least 5 minutes in a notebook or journal (not using a computer). Write what comes to mind and don’t censor yourself. Get everything out, and read what you’ve written without judging yourself. With this, you can begin cultivating a more confident attitude through daily introspection.

2. Watch a motivational video

If you want to increase your confidence quickly, it’s important that you fill your mind with positive, motivating “stuff.” One of the things that have helped me the most over the years, as far as my confidence and self-esteem go, is watching inspirational videos on YouTube. If you make an effort to watch one every single day, even if it’s the same video over and over again, it will do wonders for your levels of confidence. Here’s a good one to start with:

3. Do “The Bow” for one minute

“The Bow” is a bio-energetics exercise that releases built-up energy in the body caused by stress and other factors. When the energy in your body is not released, it can result in anxiety, depression, chronic illness, disease, and many other unpleasant symptoms, and that is why it’s so important to release as much of that energy as possible. When the tension in your body (energy) is released, you in turn feel more clear-headed and relaxed, which naturally increases your confidence. Stressed/anxious = fear/low self-esteem. Calm/relaxed = happy/confident.

4. Read, speak, and listen to affirmations

Affirmations are positive words that are repeated over and over again. with the intention of influencing your subconscious mind and core beliefs. It’s important to understand that your beliefs about yourself are nothing more than statements that you have repeated to yourself over and over again, whether or not you did so knowingly. Also, people in your life may have suggested things to you so many times that you began to accept those statements as truth, and now you unconsciously repeat those statements to yourself to this very day. Your parents or teachers may have told you so. you were stupid, shy, ignorant, lazy, etc. First of all, none of those things are true unless you believe they are. Secondly, even if you believe negative things about yourself, you have the power to change those beliefs by changing the statements that you repeat to yourself. This is where affirmations come into play. Repeat positive statements to yourself often. Write them down, read them often, and put them around your house where you will see them every day. To adopt more positive beliefs and thus increase your confidence, you must essentially brainwash yourself, and I’m not using the term in a negative sense. You are already being brainwashed by your environment (people, television, music, books, etc.) every single day, so you might as well choose to brainwash yourself with positive information in a controlled way. Using affirmations, in essence, is just positive programming. Program your brain for confidence.

5. Move your body

Moving your body, whether through exercise, dancing, jumping on a trampoline, or some other activity, is essential for self-esteem and confidence, because it releases excess energy in the body and keeps it healthy and functioning properly.

If your body isn’t healthy, your mind won’t be either, and negative thoughts will creep in much more easily. A healthy body equals a happy mind. You don’t need to lift weights or do P90X to get the incredible benefits of exercise. Just taking a walk every day will boost your mood and self-confidence dramatically. Don’t believe me? Walk 2 miles every day for the next 30 days, and then tell me how you feel. Do it!

6. Reduce time on social media sites

Excessive use of social media has been linked to low self-esteem, especially in teens and young adults. When you are scanning through the countless status updates of other people, you are unconsciously judging and comparing their life to yours, which is a recipe for low self-esteem. When you compare yourself to someone else, you automatically put the other person above you and start looking for ways to validate your own worth. If you have low self-esteem, comparing yourself to others will always make you feel worse and lower your confidence even more. Limiting your use of social media is a good idea. You can block sites for a set amount of time with a site blocker, which is a great way to increase your productivity, and as a result, your confidence. When you do use social media, remember not to get emotionally involved with what other people say. Avoid gossip. Spread positivity instead.

7. Do a good deed intentionally

Self-confidence is largely the result of feeling good about your contribution to the world. When you feel that you are living for something greater than yourself, you feel inspired and motivated. The best way to feel like you are making a significant contribution to the world is to give to others. Even the smallest deed can change the world. A simple compliment can make someone’s day and inspire them to do good for others, thus starting a chain reaction that goes on to change the lives of countless people never underestimate the strength of your right thought and actions. Everything counts. Aim to do one good thing for someone else each day, even if it’s something as simple as saying “good job” or “I love your smile.” It’s often the smallest things that make the biggest difference. When you know you’re making a difference in the lives of others, it’s nearly impossible to feel bad about yourself.

8. Create small daily goals and complete them consistently

Every time you set a goal for yourself and accomplish it, dopamine, the “feel good” chemical, is released in your brain, which gives you a small boost of confidence. Even the smallest of accomplishments have this effect, so you can easily use this to your advantage by setting small daily goals for yourself. For this to have a profound effect on your confidence, you need to make sure that you, 1. write your goal down on paper, 2. complete the goal no matter what, and 3. check it off your list upon completion. Writing your goal down on paper ensures that it’s fresh in your mind, and checking it off your list will actually increase the amount of dopamine that is released when you complete your goal, more so than if you were to not write it down at all, and so this has a greater positive effect on your confidence and self-esteem.

it's important that you complete the goal consistently, so start with something easy, like drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning or doing 10 pushups perhaps. What will happen is, over time, you will find yourself wanting to do more and more because the dopamine release in your brain actually causes you to become addicted to completing your goals! As you accomplish more, your confidence will rise, and vice versa. You will soon find that the small tasks you complete on a daily basis build on one another to create something far greater than you could have predicted. Your quality of life will increase, and you will be happier, more confident, and more capable of taking on all of life’s inevitable challenges.

It is the small things done consistently that lead to major change and the same rule applies to your levels of confidence. You won’t leap from an insecure person to someone with extreme confidence, but if you do the small things on a daily basis that are proven to increase your confidence, then there is no limit to who you can become. It starts with the decisions that you make today. Choose wisely.