Believe it or not, yes!
Even as most people lack enough confidence, or possess a positive self-image, there are those who overestimate their capabilities, are over optimistic, take on too much risk and end up crashing and burning.
So why am I even bringing this up?
The answer is, because in order to build true/genuine self-confidence, your self-image must be founded in reality. You must know who you are. You must have a realistic evaluation of your abilities and you must commit to continued self-improvement. Add to that learning to maintain focus, motivation and persistence, and you're on your way!
A good way to build and maintain your self-confidence and stay focused is to set up a program or action plan for yourself. Here is an outline of how you can go about it. You can customize it to your own needs or you can follow the steps as I've presented them.
Become aware.
Know who you are and what you want. As has been said so
many times - "If you don't know where you are going, how will you know
when you get there?" Take the time to figure out what your strengths,
aptitudes and capabilities are and how you can to best use them to
achieve personal satisfaction and fulfillment. Draw up a chart or excel
spreadsheet outlining your strengths, what you enjoy doing, and how you
can
establish goals. List the things you'd like to do and what
you have to do to accomplish them.
For example:
Strengths | Personal Abilities | Physical Abilities | Interests |
reliable | good memory | coordinated | basketball |
loyal | artistic | good stamina | play guitar |
friendly | musical | quick reflexes | writing |
trustworthy | good writer | good runner | computers |
If you don't take action or set goals, but just flail about
aimlessly without purpose or focus, it won't take long before you
become disillusioned and hopeless. Those who are self-confident know
what they want and they work at getting it.
Motivate Yourself. Self-confidence comes also from
the ability to motivate yourself
to achieve your goals. Of course, it's easier to just procrastinate and
find excuses for not putting in the effort to accomplish something.
Unfortunately, this too leads to inertia, disillusionment and falling
into a rut. One way you can stay on track and stay motivated is to set
up a chart of must-do activities that include:
Take care of yourself. Even though
relying on your physical appearance and good looks as a
basis for self-confidence is not a good idea, it
is important to look and feel your best. This means staying
healthy and fit, maintaining good grooming habits and making the most
of what you have. Do some research on the best styles and colors for
your body type. If you need help, there are many men's and women's
fashion magazines that can give you some great ideas. The Internet is
also a helpful resource for finding the latest trends and styles. Pay
attention too, to your attitude. How you walk, talk, and conduct
yourself significantly reflects how you feel about yourself. A good personality,
a neat and stylish appearance and a smile on your face can take you a
long way towards success in career,
relationships and personal accomplishment.
Develop Your Mind. And then keep developing it!
Not only will people find you interesting
and someone who contributes to their own knowledge and awareness, you
will keep your brain sharp
and active.
People who get mentally lazy and don't continue to challenge themselves throughout life are more prone to develop dementia, Alzheimer's and other degenerative brain diseases as they age. Self-confidence will plummet!
Make it a point to do such things as: As you can see, self-confidence is not only an
achievable goal if you
set it up as a workable Action Plan, it can also
be fun and extremely rewarding. Take the time to draw up your own
self-confidence action plan and tailor it to your particular needs and
goals where necessary. Decide which characteristics you want to
develop, work on, or accentuate. Make a game of it. The process alone
will stimulate your creativity and who knows what great things can
happen! Enjoy the ride as you become a more confident
individual who is willing to take control of his/her own destiny.