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No one likes to admit that they struggle with a lack of confidence. I know very well what it feels like to present a certain image to the world, yet secretly worry about what others are thinking behind the scenes, then hesitate and fail to take action. For a while, it felt too much for me to emotionally manage anything that was out of my comfort zone and so my self-destruction would get out of control.
CEOs live in a world that presents a lot of extra stress, a part of which fights the emotions of team members, clients, etc. Due to the lack of mental control, there was a time when I avoided collisions and failed to maintain boundaries. With clients, and this vulnerability only contributes to more negative internal conversations.
What I have learned over time is that this lack of confidence is due to multiple reasons and my childhood played a huge role. Being bullied and unable to stand up for yourself had a positive effect on youth, and both addressing it and recovering from it played a huge role in building the confidence needed to build a successful company.
Here are some of the tools and exercises I’ve discovered in the process, and those that can help make a big impact for those who want to make a great impact in the world:
1. Confident memory moments
Memory plays a huge role in self-confidence. We are either dragging out thoughts of the past that support us or others that disable us and prevent us from taking action that we know will help ourselves and our business.
Try this exercise: Close your eyes and remember the time when you feel most confident. It could be any moment in the past, just choose the one that really made an impact (probably a sports competition). Close your eyes and look again at what you saw in that moment, listen to what you heard and most importantly, feel what you felt. Embracing represents an important change because it also conveys an understanding that you are in control of your mood at any given time.
Related: Male entrepreneurs often ask, ‘What do you do?’ Led with. Instead of these 7 life- and career-changing things
2. Follow-through reversing exercises
Taking action builds confidence, but often we do not take action because we think the results will be negative. If we do this enough, we are conditioning ourselves to delay, and it only reduces the extra confidence.
Grab a piece of paper and make three columns on it. On the left, put down the work you are committed to doing. The middle column details how you will feel once you get the job done. In the third, describe Why It is important to follow. When we make a general to-do list, unfortunately, it doesn’t take into account that emotions can lead to our self-destruction. Encouraging yourself to think and feel about a positive outcome will help a lot.
3. Confidence stacking
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the big leap of courage, because they are inevitably involved with more responsibility. However, the easiest thing you can do is engage in small actions that build and support your role as CEO. For example, if you haven’t talked to strangers over coffee at the moment, just say hello. Then proceed to a compliment. The positive emotional rewards you get from this kind of micro-action actually go a long way towards greater confidence. When we lack that quality, we are often stuck in a mental loop – doing the same thing day after day. When you start to break that cycle, you will notice that you are feeling happier and lighter and getting things done.
Related: 12 Ways to Build Your Confidence in 2022
4. Physical factor
Body image plays a big role in confidence. The more we let health and fitness slip, the more self-confidence we will have. “Not having enough time” is a reliable excuse, but it can be an excuse The The biggest self-destructive statement for many CEOs. Workouts and a healthy diet should be part of a lifestyle because they fuel both energy and confidence. If you have trouble exercising, ask yourself this question every day: “Is there an excuse for not being able to exercise today?” Also, make sure the time allotted for it is marked on your calendar, and not the process of doing it, focus on how you will feel after doing it – knowing that each workout and healthy diet adds to both current and future success.
5. Consequences of self-confidence
The reason we are stuck with low self-confidence and courage is that we are not prevented from doing what we need to do. A big part of personal development is being aware of when we need to take responsibility and when we don’t. Think about the things you can do right now and the things you are confident about right now. Other people may be held more accountable for such actions, but you do not do them because they are too easy for you. . Consequences of accountability create leverage: Good accountability creates the consequence of not taking action, which then forces you to do what is uncomfortable – and you become grateful for something you stopped.
Related: 5 steps to build unwavering confidence
It doesn’t take long to build true confidence. The right combination of actions can go a long way in creating a momentum that will not only impress you personally, but spread throughout the work, where you will gain more respect and more results.
