Self confidence drives your entire professional and personal 
life. It can shape your ability to overcome obstacles and 
achieve success. 

Self esteem isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something you 
develop gradually throughout life. "Confidence is a habit that 
can be developed by acting as if you already had the confidence 
you desire to have," according to success guru Brian Tracy. And 
successful coach Vince Lombardi says, "Confidence is contagious; 
so is lack of confidence."

Some people seem to radiate self confidence. They can easily talk 
in front of a crowd of people, sell themselves at job interviews 
or to start an interesting conversation with people they’ve never 
met before. Regardless of the situation—whether business or 
personal—they appear comfortable and in control. 

If you lack self confidence on a professional or personal level, 
there’s good news. You can resolve to start building your self-
esteem today. Here are seven tips to help you: 

1. Think Positively. 

When you catch yourself thinking something negative, replace it 
with a positive, realistic statement. Substitute "I’ll never get 
that job" with "I might not get the job, but I’ll do my best at 
the interview." Or replace "I’ll probably make a fool of myself" 
with "I’ll do the best I can."

2. Take Small Steps Forward. 

Self confidence takes time to build, but you can start with small 
steps. From there, you can use your successful experiences to 
lead to other positive experiences that can move you along the 
road to recovery.  

3. Emphasize Strengths. 

Give yourself credit for everything you try. By focusing on what 
you can do, you applaud yourself for efforts rather than 
emphasizing negative outcomes. Starting from a base of what you 
can do, instead of what you should do, helps you live within the 
bounds of your inevitable limitations. 

4. Do Something You’re Good At. 

Indulge in swimming, running, dancing, cooking, gardening, 
climbing, painting, writing—anything you do well. If possible, do 
something that holds your attention and requires enough focus to 
get you into a state where you forget about everything else. 
You’ll feel more competent afterwards, which will prepare you to 
face bigger challenges. 

5. Stop Thinking About Yourself. 

Low self-esteem is often accompanied by too much focus on 
yourself. Doing something that absorbs you and holds your 
attention can quickly make you feel better. 

6. Take Risks. 

Approach new experiences as opportunities to learn rather than 
occasions to win or lose. Doing so opens you up to new 
possibilities and can increase your sense of self-acceptance. Not 
doing so turns every possibility into an opportunity for failure 
and inhibits personal growth. 

7. Realize That It’s OK To Fail. 

Dare to fail. You don’t learn by doing what you already know. You 
have to make a step further and try new things to get better. 
Think of failure as a lesson-building tool. You can build on your 
experience to do better next time.

Remember that you are who you think you are. You can accomplish 
what you think you can - no more, no less. So start working on 
boosting your self confidence today so you can perform at your 
fullest potential. 

Copyright Kate Smalley
Connecticut Secretary
Professional Transcription Services
Freelance Secretarial Services
http://www.connecticutsecretary.com
mailto:kms@connecticutsecretary.com