Why Is Self Confidence So Important?

By Nichola English

Do you have a clear idea of what self-confidence is, and why it’s so important to develop and nurture your internal awareness of it? 

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE MORE SELF-CONFIDENT? 

An understanding of self-confidence is a great tool to have. It’s neither right nor wrong to be full of or lacking in self-confidence, it’s really more a question of why you need it or want it.  

Our confidence levels will vary from day to day and even moment to moment. So, whatever end of the scale your confidence is currently at, I want you to remember that it’s an ever-changing experience and not to judge yourself.  Just appreciate where you are and know that things will change. 

The power of the mind is a truly remarkable thing. How you feel in any given moment is linked to:

• What you’re focussing on

• The way that you’re moving and using your body

• The language you’re using

And your mind controls all three! 

WOW our minds are bloody powerful tools aren’t they! So, if you’re feeling lethargic or need an instant confidence/energy boost just remember, you can change the way you feel by simply changing one or all of the three things above.

HOW TO FEEL SELF-CONFIDENT MOST OF THE TIME

Feeling confident most of the time is something I’m sure we’d all love to experience. So, let’s look at a few strategies that can help you achieve this goal. 

VISUALISE WHO YOU WANT TO BE

One of my favourite quotes from self-help author, Napoleon Hill, points to this beautifully… “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

Using a technique like visualisation, or even creating a vision board, can be a great way to boost your self-confidence. Some of our greatest inspirational and motivational authors talk about visualisation techniques and the benefits of using them. 

Visualisation is super easy to do. All that’s required is picturing yourself as a confident person who’s achieving all your goals and aspirations. Spend a few moments as often as you can throughout your day allowing yourself to let go and let your mind fully embody this vision. With enough practice, over time your mind will adopt this vision as reality, and you’ll naturally become this new confident version of yourself. 

WHATEVER MAKES YOU HAPPY, DO MORE OF IT

Let me ask you, what do you love to do in your spare time? Is it walking in nature, disappearing into the pages of a book (this is one of my favourite things to do), or sitting drinking coffee in beautiful surroundings? 

Knowing and doing what makes you happy is so important. It’s vital to create space for it because you need time to enhance your life and to recharge your batteries in order to be your best self.

BE PREPARED

As the saying goes, preparation is key! It’s hard to be confident if you’re not prepared or ready to meet the challenge ahead. When you take the time to prepare, you’re far more likely to feel less stress and pressure. Instead you’ll feel in control, which in turn gives your self-confidence a boost. Think of life as an exam (but a fun one!) and you're preparing yourself to sail through it confidently.

DO SOMETHING YOU’VE BEEN PROCRASTINATING ABOUT 

Do you have things on your to-do list that have been sitting there for what feels like forever?! 

Why not start today and tackle one of those things on your list. The best time to do the jobs we keep procrastinating about is first thing in the morning. I guarantee you’ll feel great and will set yourself up for the day feeling so much more confident and accomplished. 

CLEAR YOUR DESK

Now I know this might seem simple, but honestly it works wonders! I will confess this is sometimes an area where I’m not that consistent with walking my talk but, like you, I’m a work in progress. Nevertheless, I try to have a huge clear out as regularly as possible and when I do I feel amazing! 

There’s lots of research and studies that show disorganisation can make us feel as though we no longer have control over our lives. This creates a defeatist work environment and can contribute to reduced motivation and lowered self-confidence. So, the next time you head over to your desk remember, a clean and tidy desk helps create a sense of control that leads to increased self-confidence and productivity. 

EXERCISE

Apart from the health benefits, exercise is a great way to release those magical feel-good chemicals, Endorphins. If you don’t already know, a portion of your confidence comes from how you feel in your own skin, how you think you look to others and how healthy your body feels inside. 

So, grab your gym bag and go get yourself a delicious endorphin high! 

CHANGE A HABIT

Rather than going full steam ahead with making multiple changes, start with one small one. It could be waking up 15-minutes earlier to write in your journal and set your intentions for the day or getting started with an exercise routine that only takes 10-minutes. It could even be to drink more water throughout the day. 

Always start with something small that you know, if you set your mind to it, you can achieve it. As you make these small changes, your commitment and motivation will increase, which makes it easier to stick to your new habit for good. 

Try it for a month and see how it goes. When you’ve accomplished it consistently, you’ll feel like a million dollars!

FINAL THOUGHTS…

Confidence is a feeling and state of mind that you can create and grow no matter what stage you’re at in your life. 

It’s all about taking the first step, and asking yourself, “How would a person with confidence achieve this?” And then go and do it! 

Nichola English is addicted to fashion. From an early age picking out clothes for friends and family, she always had an eye for style which only expanded as she got older, eventually creating her business, The Wardrobe Provocateur. 

Nichola adores working with women (and men) across the world discovering personal style, reinventing that old tired wardrobe and realising new confidence and vitality through coaching, shopping and good old clearing out of the old. You can read her full story of becoming The Wardrobe Provocateur here.