Confidence is important to complement your skills and abilities. An individual with confidence and less technical skills will be more visible and highly rated than a highly skilled professional that lacks the requisite confidence. Yes, confidence is requisite for success in the workplace.
What is your confidence level? Do you avoid taking responsibilities? Are you afraid of challenges? Is public speaking like a nightmare? Do you keep quiet in meetings and would rather ask questions when everybody is out and you are left alone with the facilitator or convener? Do not be too bothered if your responses to the questions are affirmative. Many people are in your shoes. Have you asked yourself what if i ask questions or speak up in public or at meetings, will I die, faint or fall down? Why not dare those butterflies and do you?
To boost your self-confidence, wear your confidence as you do with your nice clothes. Start your day, feeling good about yourself, dress in clothes that boost your confidence. It all starts with you. Always ensure that you dress appropriate for the occasion or event. How do you feel about yourself? There is a way good appearance makes you stand tall with shoulders high. When people compliment the nice outfit, gladly acknowledge with a ‘thank you’ and your confidence-smile.
The state of your mind matters a lot. Many times, confidence issues are simply how you feel about yourself. Most times, people do not care; they are not thinking about you. It is you that thinks that they are thinking about you. For all you care they may be admiring you. Since it seems like an uncertain guess game, why not stick to the positive side? Start to think that you are the greatest person in the room! Think that no-one is better than you! Think that you are the most beautiful and that you are the best version of yourself at the moment till you upgrade to a better version. Even when anyone comes to demean you with an unkind utterance, just shrug it off. Choose what you want to believe about yourself. When negative statements are uttered to you, unhear them immediately. No-one can make you feel less of yourself, unless you allow it.
Always be prepared. Do the right things at the right time and let opportunity meet readiness. If you have a meeting or presentation, prepare for it so that you can talk intelligently and knowledgeably. When you know a topic, it will be easier to communicate and handle confidence issues. If you don’t have knowledge in the required area for conversation, you will stutter and if you have confidence issues, you will further struggle with fear and trembling.
In building self confidence, it is important to pay more attention to self awareness. Self mastery will aid personal efficiency and effectiveness. These, in turn, will boost confidence. Self mastery is simply defining your values, that is, what you stand for and sticking to them even when it is not convenient to do so.
More so, at any opportunity you have to speak or put yourself out, please do. You learn the art of public speaking by preparing and doing. The more public speaking engagements you hold, the better you become. Plan your speech and flow naturally. Do not cram your speech. Read more and consistently, to improve your vocabulary on a daily basis. This will aid free flow of words for expression.
Be positive, believe in yourself, you are better than you think.
Cheers,
Gbemi Ibrahim.