Having a healthy amount of confidence is critical to thriving a transition. 

Why?

Confidence gives you an inner trust that all will be well and will help you maintain a healthy attitude in the bigger picture of your life. And this inner trust will give you the fuel to explore your options. You’ll understand that transition is an opportunity to build resilience. By building your resilience, you in turn build confidence and courage.

WHAT is confidence?
Confidence is a belief in oneself, the conviction that one has the ability to meet life’s challenges and to succeed—and the willingness to act accordingly. To be confident, you require a realistic sense of your capabilities. And you need to feel secure in this knowledge.

Confidence comes from the inside
If you’re looking for a new step in your career, then of course polishing your LinkedIn profile, rewriting your CV and arming yourself with a convincible elevator pitch will all help. But if you lack confidence under the surface, your written words won’t be that powerful.

The good news?

Confidence is transferable from one area of life to another
Perhaps you excel in a sport, are a whizz in the kitchen or with a creative craft. Everyone has a talent outside work and sometimes we forget that these skills are great at building our overall confidence and self-worth.

I have a friend who is an amazing artist. Another who is great at interior design – her home is beautiful and straight out of a magazine. And I know someone who is a handy woman in disguise. I’m in awe of all these talents.

I use Iyengar yoga to build my own confidence and to practice positive self-talk. I challenge myself in certain poses to go deeper, further and hold it for longer. And feel proud when I, for example, manage a headstand without support for 5 minutes.

I’ve also gained confidence from my travels which have included solo backpacking trips, numerous yoga retreats around the world, a trek in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and tramping in New Zealand.

What hobby or passion do you have that contributes to your self-confidence?

You can grow in confidence by starting with small steps at the everyday level.

Here are three tips on HOW to grow in confidence:

1. Do something scary EVERYDAY!
   Yes! As simple as that. Stepping outside your comfort zone helps build self-confidence.

   Examples to inspire you:

• Speak to a stranger
• Write a post on LinkedIn
• Apply for a job you don’t have all the requirements for
• Ask for help

2. Try out a new SUCCESS HABIT
   Your habits define your life. Your success habits support your energy which in turn affect your mindset. What kind of mindset do you want?

   Examples to inspire you

• Get up 15 mins earlier for 1 week. Use the time to do something which energizes you – journal, exercise, meditate or similar
• Walk around the block in your lunch break
• Stop, breathe, think before you answer a challenging stat
• Eat something nourishing instead of that biscuit

3. HELP someone else
   

• Open a door
• Become a mentor
• Offer to take your neighbour’s dog for a walk
• Offer to babysit for your friend / relative

  Baby steps matter. Sometimes that first SMALL step is all it takes to get started and get the ball rolling. And each action outside your comfort zone which supports a success habit will build your confidence.

And finally, hang out with a carefully selected supportive tribe. Our mothers were right – you become who you hang out with. I encourage you to surround yourself with supportive friends, family, and trusted advisors in the form of a mentor, coach or colleagues. They do wanders for your self-confidence.

I’d love to know how you build your self-confidence.

Photo by Blake Weyland on Unsplash 

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