Why being confident is so important

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of someone else." Judy Garland

As a Confidence and Mental Fitness Coach, I work with numerous individuals who are having a confidence wobble. Let's be honest, most of us wobble at some point in our career and life - that's totally normal as we move from our comfort zone to our stretch zone.

But why is being confident to important?

1.?????Makes you healthier and happier – research shows that confident people tend to be healthier, happier and even live longer, despite any personal hardship they may be facing. ?It is often a knock-on effect, that when we feel happier we are more motivated to invest in our wellbeing and self care, by thinking about our physical, social, and mental wellbeing.

2.?????Confidence can make you richer – studies found that men who are more confident initiate salary negotiations 4 time more often then women.?And when women do negotiate, they tend to ask for 30% less than men do.

3.?????Helps you make decisions – often thoughts and feelings about getting things wrong, hurting others by the decision we make, not having enough facts to hand are all delaying tactics of our inner critical mind.?When we remove the doubt and fear we are able to make discerning choices in a more timely manner.

4.?????Helps build your resilience – we know that confidence helps to build your coping mechanisms to handle setbacks and difficult situations.?When we are willing to try something new, learn a new skill we’ll invariably fail at some point.?In fact, it is from the failing and falling down that we learn and develop our confidence level.

5.?????Improves your relationships – often confident people have clearer boundaries and are able to manage relationships in a healthy way.?They are more likely to see a disagreement or challenging conversation as an opportunity to air the conflict and find a solution, that rather than avoid it completely.

6.?????Better communicator – when we doubt ourselves we often doubt our own voice, judgment and contribution.?Yet, when we are feeling confident we are more likely to contribute at a team meeting or networking event, being an active participant in the conversation rather than a passive observer.

7.?????Earns you respect – it is human instinct to be drawn to those who exude confidence, to follow their lead, and take them at their word.?We may not always get it right, but what is real is that confidence is linked to respect.

8.?????Less fear and anxiety – managing your feelings of anxiety and stress starts with noticing the pattern, recognising the familiar Saboteur voices and then doing something about it.?The more confident you become, the more you are able calmy shift your mind from a negative to positive perspective, and feel back in control.

9.?????Confidence motivates you – looking back at what did work, rather than what you failed at, helps you get over the ‘I’m not sure I can do it’ hump by reminding yourself that you have done it and can do it again.?Often confidence is built by small wins, little moments of success that we need to keep reminding ourselves about.

10.?Linked to self-esteem – when you know your value, believe in your worth on a personal and work level you feel more confident in your abilities and what you are capable of.

If you would like to find out more about how to build up your confience, then get in touch with Kate Flory and book a sample coaching session today.

For more Top Tips, visit www.kapowcoaching.com and read from the many past blogs.