10 (almost) Instant Confidence Boosters You can try TODAY

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail." Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s the New Year!

Are you vowing to make this your best year ever but.... you lack some confidence?

It can be a mystery.

How can you build confidence when you're not feeling so confident?

Good news! Confidence is within reach. And it's not nearly the insurmountable goal you think it is.

I know.

I was there.

I was once a timid and fearful manager. I transformed in a matter of months by taking small steps. All I needed was a little boost to start the ball rolling.

And once the ball started rolling, I felt unstoppable.

Here are 10 (almost) instant confidence boosters to give your confidence the makeover you’re looking for.

If you like any of the tips and want to learn more, click on the links.

1. Believe in yourself

   You are what you believe. If you believe you can be confident, you just made the first step to being a lot more confident.

2. Have 2 minutes? Power pose

   Take a look at Social Psychologist, Ann Cuddy’s Ted Talk about the connection between mind and body. Not only can your mind improve your physical performance, changing your body position for just 2 minutes can change your confidence.

   Before a big meeting or interview - stand for 2 minutes in the "victor's" pose - hand outstretched over your head, feet at least shoulders width apart. Your body will give you a boost of confidence!

3. Stop apologizing

   Say what you have to say.

   I teach workshops where I ask participants to read their prework out loud: State one thing you are proud of and why.

   Almost everyone apologizes before they speak, “This may be a little wordy”, or “I’m not sure if I did this right….” Wow. The prework is supposed to be a confidence booster, but most often it's not.

   Save your apologies. Next time, don’t preface your response - just say it. Expect respect and you’ll get respect. No apologies needed.

4. Set a high goal and go for it

   Nothing builds confidence like a win. Exceed expectations and watch your confidence, and the confidence of others, soar.

5. Kick the “I can’t" habit

   You can! Did you know your language could be limiting you?

   Instead of automatically defaulting to "I can't", take a step back and say, "I can, but... I don't want to, I 'm afraid to, I don't have the skills to..."

   By being more precise, it will force you to pinpoint your true barrier.

   You have more choices than you think.

6. Stop the upspeak

   You can undermine your authority just by your tone. Upspeak can cause other people to question you. Then you start to question yourself.

   Give yourself a confidence makeover by giving your voice a confidence makeover

7. Change friends….

   There's truth to this quote by Jim Rohn, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

   Ok, you don't have to ditch your friends, but don't let your friends hold your career back either. You can change your confidence by interacting regularly with more confident people.

8. Squash your “What ifs”

   If you spend more time second guessing yourself than making a decision, it's time to stop your fear of What if!

   Every time you ask yourself "What if?", challenge your response with "So what?" Every time you say, "What if this went wrong?", ask yourself, "What if this went right?"

   Use What if to open up possibilities, not shut them down.

9. Hack you humility trap

   Don't let your humility hold you back.

   Humility is a virtue, not an excuse. Connect to your purpose and passion, and fulfill your potential to help others fulfill theirs. Advocate for yourself so that one day you may advocate for those in need.

10. Just do it

    What if we lived by Wayne Gretzky’s famous quote: You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

    The possibilities are endless.

Bonus tip: Fail...

Then pick yourself up. Learn from your mistakes and then try again. Take a small risk, and realize that failure doesn't have to be life threatening.

You may discover that failing is the gateway you needed.

Why wait for the New Year to get the ball rolling?

Try just a few of these tips. As you gain confidence, your momentum will propel you to try more and more.

This year give yourself a gift that lasts a lot longer than last year's gym membership.

You can start today.