Confidence is not something you’re born with, nor are many of us raised with the conditions that allow confidence to flourish naturally. You can probably relate to having an inner critic with a loud voice that can often drown out the voice of confidence within. We need not continue to be hard on ourselves all the time and while sometimes it can motivate us to do better we can also take a kinder and gentler approach to self improvement that includes giving ourselves a chance to practice the habits that lead to knowledge and confidence
11 life coaching strategies to help you increase confidence in your life, leadership and career.
1. Practice as much as can; you can only improve with practice and the practice leads to knowledge and confidence.
2. Feel the fear; orient toward feelings of fear so they are not perpetuated and you don’t waste valuable energy trying to avoid or resist the fear of the unknown.
3. Notice where the edge in your performance exists; this will require some self-awareness but as you navigate through learning new things you will find a sweet spot just before fear increases to the point the performance drop offs, this means you have gone too far! Find your peak performance edge.
4. Take small pauses with the breath and make short spaces to back off from the edge to renew energy and reset.
5. Use your breath and move the body to let the mind know there is no need to panic. Smiling, movement, and slower breaths reduce the panic reflex.
6. Open up your body language as it produces hormones associated with dominance and confidence over your environment.
7. Have an affirmation in mind that is positive and encouraging, “I’ve got this”, “I can do it.”
8. Be playful and don’t entertain negative thoughts and the inner critic, notice when it is there and try not to resist it but don’t invite it into the drivers seat. Allowing fear into your passenger seat lets your mind and body know you’re aware but you’re in control and can be more equanimous.
9. Reframe any negative thoughts into positive narratives that provide a sense of curiosity over the challenge being faced.
10. Always be yourself and allow yourself the time and space to navigate the learning environment authentically, try to release others expectations.
11. Take up a growth mindset of “not yet” when you notice you have made mistakes or failed. These are opportunities to learn, they are not permanent if you keep going and when you’re on the pathway of growth it is inevitable that it will happen.
Putting these life coaching tips into practice will increase your energy and create a positive upward spiral and before long you will notice the difference in your life. Often those who exude confidence are just more skilled at facing into their difficulties and not letting it limit their potential. A healthy confidence can be developed and life coaching can help you discover how. Marion Miller a leading Australian based professional coach and mindfulness teacher recommends you try one or two of these strategies per week and have little reminders on your calendar at the start of the day to motivate you.
