How to Improve Self Confidence at Work
Self-confidence comes from balance. Despite excellent abilities, a lack of confidence can prevent you from achieving your full potential. On the other hand, confidence not backed by real ability is just arrogance and can create resentment. The key to self-confidence, therefore, flows from a realistic assessment of your abilities and a consistent effort to use and improve on your talents.
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Instructions
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Be prepared. There's probably no other single step more powerful in improving self-confidence than to prepare as much as possible for the day's responsibilities. Simply by preparing and staying ahead of the game eliminates anxiety and makes one better able to deal with the inevitable surprises.
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Know yourself. Another major component of self-confidence is knowing your personal goals and desires. Success is defined by each individual, but unless you know what you really want out of life and where you want to be, it's likely that you'll compare yourself to others and unrealistic standards. Knowing yourself both inspires you to pursue your goals and also shields you from unnecessary feelings of defeat that come from not getting what you don't want anyway.
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Put confidence in your body. Don't underestimate the power of posture. People unconsciously read into people's nature just based on how they carry themselves. If you sit and stand tall, you're not only likely to feel better but people will also treat you better. And the same thing goes with smiling. It doesn't hurt to smile, and most people will respond positively.
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Face your fears. Once you've already moved down the road toward self-confidence, it's appropriate to face up to your fears. This might be confronting a coworker or supervisor on an issue, taking on a certain new responsibility or asking for a raise. You can think about self-confidence in the workplace as a sort of spiral staircase. You might be going round and round in the same place, but you want to be moving upwards. The only way to do that is to take specific bold actions. Confronting your fears, even if they don't work out exactly as you might have hoped, puts you at least another step higher on the spiral stair of self-confidence.
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Tips & Warnings
Self-confident people don't go around touting their accomplishments, but they're gracious when someone compliments them. They are able to admit their mistakes without being defined by them and do what they believe to be right, not what they can get away with.
Resources
- Photo Credit Raymond (CC-By 2.0)
