How to Increase your Confidence and Achieve Success

Lisa Franchi October 07, 2013

Self-confidence is not just essential to achieving success. It is also extremely important in all other aspects of life. We need confidence to communicate and build relationships with other people. We need it to perform well in school, at work, or in business. And we need it to overcome challenges the come our way. However, some people lack enough confidence to pursue their goals and become successful.

If you’re struggling with confidence issues, here are 8 tips for you:

Set small goals and achieve them.

Sometimes, big goals can be overwhelming. And when you can’t reach them, you become much less confident. One trick to increase your confidence is to set small, achievable goals. It really feels good every time you are able to achieve something – that gives you a sense of accomplishment, something you will also experience when you achieve big goals. So try breaking down a big dream into smaller ones and focus on them one at a time. This doesn’t only make you more confident but also makes your journey to success less stressful.

Be kind to yourself.

Pamper yourself by buying a new pair of shoes or a new dress, or getting a two-hour massage at the spa. When you feel good about yourself, you will feel better in all other things. Treat yourself like you would treat a very good friend.

Be thankful.

All humans are hardwired to improve something. Even the richest people on earth feel that something is still missing. That’s part of being human. We are in constant chase of so many things. Once we have achieved our present goals, we will sure create another one. And the list goes on. But being too focused on your goals could have a negative impact on your confidence levels. As mentioned, having a sense of accomplishment increases our self-esteem. But how could you experience it if you lack appreciation for what you currently have? Before going to bed, think about the things that made you happy today as well as the goals you have completed (e.g. finishing your work on time, cleaning your room, sending the application form for a university scholarship, etc) and write them down on your journal. Realising that you are such a ‘blessed’ person strengthens your drive to reach your long-term goals and achieve success despite the challenges you are facing.

Reduce your worrying.

Too often, we put a lot of time and attention thinking about all the ‘what-ifs’ we have in life. What if they don’t like my product? What if I fail in the exam? What if I don’t get promoted? What if – fill in the blank. But here’s the thing. Every day, you only have a certain amount of energy to spend. Instead of wasting it on worrying, why not use it to advance your career, improve your performance, learn about new stuff, and then meet your goals?

Find an inspiration.

Look for someone who has become successful in the career path you are taking and determine the qualities he or she has that you still don’t have. Learn about their good practices, skills and traits that have made them successful. Also research about the failures they have gone through and how they were able to overcome them.

Disarm those critical voices inside you.

Tell your inner critical self to ‘shut up’. If you can’t, just let it speak in a very minimal tone. Imagine a volume control in your brain and reduce it to the lowest level until you couldn’t even understand what those negative internal voices are saying. You can also overthrow those critical voices by filling your mind with positive thoughts. Optimism has a large role to play in increasing your confidence and achieving success.

Stop comparing yourself to others.

One common habit of individuals who have poor self-esteem is that they keep on comparing themselves with other people – which is not right because everyone of us is uniquely special. Often, comparisons are unfair because you don’t know as much as you think you do about these people. You may think its better, but in reality, it could be 100 times worse.

Lastly, be willing to take risks.

Remember, you miss 100% of the opportunities you never go for. Don’t be afraid to fail or commit mistakes. No person has ever made it to success without experiencing failure even once in their life. You have God-given talents and abilities. Use them to achieve success.