Develop Confidence in 4 Easy Steps

Believing in yourself enables you to rise and reach your potential. On the contrary, low self-confidence leads to shyness, inaction, holding back, and missed opportunities.

Some people seem naturally confident in any given situation. The truth is if you have never been a highly confident person, learning to be more confident can seem like a daunting task. However, if you genuinely want to develop the courage to chase your dreams, you owe it to yourself to learn the secrets to becoming a more confident person.

1. Visualize

Your mind can work wonders in transforming your life. Did you know that your subconscious mind cannot differentiate between something you've imagined and something real? Therefore, if you spend time visualizing a goal, hope or dream vividly, chances are that your subconscious mind will accept that these goals feel real and achievable. Then, rather than trying to talk you out of it, it sets out to help you turn what you've imagined into reality—so visualizing that you are an incredibly confident person that deals with every situation with ease.

2. Write it down

Did you know that your likelihood of success increases tenfold when you write things down? So start putting down your goals and dreams on paper in the present tense. Get into the habit of seeing things from the other end, as though you've already succeeded. Start seeing yourself as someone who knows how to be confident in any situation. If you picture yourself as a confident public speaker, write down a story detailing what an excellent speaker you are. Picture the audience laughing and smiling as they are enjoying your presentation. Describe how you feel as you stand up in front of these people in as much detail as possible. Write a movie with you as the director, producer, and lead actor or actress!

3. Cut and Paste

Most of us have made a collage at some point in our lives. A collage is a compilation of pictures, usually things that are meaningful to the person putting them together. Find images representing the outcome you want and paste them on a vision board. For instance, you can find pictures of people engaged in the activities you aim to do, especially when they look confident doing the task and seem like they are enjoying themselves. However, don't simply pick any photo - it has to resonate with you. If you find the image irrelevant or unrealistic, skip it. Remember, you are the director of your own life. Take your time and browse until you find the pictures that speak to you. You want to make sure that your vision board, once completed, makes you feel motivated and inspired when you look at it!

4. Take Action

You can visualize and plan all you want, but nothing will come to fruition if you don't take any action. Continuing on the above example of becoming a confident public speaker, a great way to start is to take advantage of any public speaking courses or workshops offered in your area. You can also join Toastmasters, an international non-profit club specializing in public speaking and leadership training.

Remember, learning how to be confident is like learning any other skill – it should be practiced. Join a group, attend a class, whatever action that can get you faster towards your ultimate goal. In reality, you can learn how to be confident in most situations. The most important thing is to enjoy the process. Whatever your goal is, your subconscious mind will help bring about excellent results as long as you use it to your advantage.