5 Simple Ways to Grow Your Self-Confidence
If you’ve spent any time with small children you’ll know that a lot of the time they’re oozing in self-confidence and they’re willing to give most things a go (unless it’s a Brussel sprout…) so somewhere along the way life has whittled away at our self esteem and left us feeling like we aren’t good enough.
I hear on a daily basis from women joining We Are Brilliant Business Builders that they lack confidence. I’m willing to bet you feel the same, right? You feel like you don’t believe in yourself. In your business know-how. You feel like a fraud and you’re worried that you’ll be “found out”. It’s stopping you from becoming more visible in the online space and also IRL. It’s holding you back from achieving the goals you want to smash!
Well I’ve been there too! (As have most of the female founders I’ve met, actually!) You wouldn’t know to look at me now, but it’s taken patience and a lot of work and self care to get to a good place! I’m going to give you some tips on how to overcome the lack of confidence and get back to those good old days of believing in yourself!
1) Be clear on your goals.
If you have clear goals and are passionate about your business, that will shine through. Also, make some of these goals bite-size and achievable, so that you can celebrate your success. This is something we focus on in the Business Mastermind sessions I run for The Simplicity Concept. Female founders leave these feeling more confident, with greater clarity around what they want to achieve and how they’re going to get there.
2) Do something everyday that scares you.
When you read any book by an entrepreneur, this is a phrase you’ll come across time and time again. And the reason for that is there’s truth in it! If you face your fears little and often, you’ll overcome them. For example, if the idea of networking fills you with dread and you’ve never been to an event – be brave! Take the leap. In fact why not come to one of mine? Friendly faces and some business chat with like-minded women will ease you in gently! Simply Connect is a great opportunity for you to develop your self-confidence.
3) Tell your inner critic to pipe-down!
That annoying voice in your head telling you you’re rubbish at public speaking? The one that keeps repeating that you’re a failure? Yep, we’ve all got one. The way I keep mine quiet when it rears its ugly head is by asking it a question. (If you’ve ever done any CBT you’ll recognise this technique!) So I might ask, “What evidence have you got that shows I am a failure?” and then, “Now give me evidence that shows I’m NOT a failure”. It’s a way of re-training your brain. And it works!
4) Keep a note of your successes.
A few entrepreneurs I know do this in a way similar to journaling and it really helps them reflect on their day and what they’ve achieved. They might be as small as, “Sent a quote to a new client” or as big as, “I absolutely smashed my pitch to Not on The High Street & they’re going to take X product!” But it’s about celebrating the wins so when you’re having a rough time, you can flick back through this book of gems and realise how awesome you are. You’ll soon see your confidence soaring.
5) Prioritise self-care.
One of the things I’ve seen happen a lot to female founders is burn out. We constantly place other people’s needs and wants ahead of our own and we get sidelined. So make a change today! Put yourself first and other people will too. This doesn’t have to be bubble baths galore, it can be as simple as making sure you take your vitamins and drink enough water. You can find out more about self-care here. Once you’ve taken time for yourself, spent some time reflecting and being mindful, you’ll be emanating quiet self-confidence.
“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.”
—Amelia Earhart
Hopefully by using these as a starting point, your self-confidence will grow and you’ll feel happier marketing yourself to new clients and begin to make more sales. This journey as business owners is a funny one, lots of ups and downs and hair-pin bends, but if you can work on YOU, then nothing will shake you. You’ll pick yourself up after every knock down and you’ll be handing out advice to other female founders in no time at all!
Niki x