When it comes to building self esteem and confidence, don't 
think self improvement, think self development.  What's the 
difference?  If you regard personal development as 
improvement, it suggests that something in you needs to be 
"fixed".
 
Each improvement then leads to the need for more 
improvements and you'll be stuck in a cyclical loop of 
personal improvements that never seem good enough. 
So start with your existing strengths, skills, talents and 
gifts and develop these from a position of strength.
 
Building self esteem and confidence is a process that 
involves making changes.  Making changes takes time and 
energy.  So one of the best ways to raise your self esteem 
is to improve your level of energy and dynamism.
 
Improving your Energy and Dynamism
 
To achieve this, ensure that you have a nourishing diet, 
sleep well, take regular exercise, meditate regularly, make 
time to do things that you enjoy spend time with people you 
love.  More importantly, develop a structure and routine so 
that these aspects are built into your daily life.  For 
example schedule time during the day to relax, meditate, 
take a walk etc.
 
Building self esteem and confidence is dependent on breaking 
old habits and developing new productive ones.  A key habit 
that needs to be shattered is the habit of negative 
thinking.  These thoughts are so interwoven into the fabric 
of your mind that you assume that they are normal and 
changeable - but they are not! Learning how to acknowledge 
and deal with your inner critic is an extremely effective 
way of starting to boost your self esteem.
 
Forget the Blame Game!
 
Stop judging yourself and other people in your life for what 
has happened to you in the past.  Playing the Blame Game 
serves no one, least of all yourself.  People did what they 
thought was best at the time, the same way you did.  Learn 
to forgive yourself and others for past mistakes.  
Harbouring old grudges takes up a lot of time and energy you 
could be using in more productive ways.
 
Learn how to reconcile, resolve and accept what has happened 
in the past and know that it has made you a much stronger 
person.  Acknowledge your fears and find out what's really 
behind them.  Many of your fears are likely to be 
groundless, but it is the thinking, attitudes and beliefs 
that cause much of the inappropriate fear.  Fear is often a 
disguise for your lack of belief in yourself and your 
judgements.
 
Best way to start building self esteem and confidence
 
The best way to start building your self esteem and 
confidence is to commit to making changes.  Even if you use 
just one of the examples listed above, it will begin to make 
a difference to your level of self esteem.  Know that you 
are valued, regardless of what has happened before.