April - June 2015 •
The Lion King
• 39
Confidence
Building
Strategies
By Gabriel Odang
1.
Everyday remind
yourself that you did
some things well.
Instead
of dwelling on what did not work or a
task you did not finish, focus on what
you did accomplish. Do not minimize
these. Give yourself a mental pep talk
at the beginning and end of the day.
Coach yourself, just like you would
help someone else to overcome a
challenge.
2.
Read inspiring
biographies and auto-
biographies.
Read books,
articles and magazines. Build a file
of those stories that inspire you most.
Record special TV documentaries, lis-
ten to tapes or watch videos. Find out
about people who started with noth-
ing or who had devastating setbacks,
and still found a way to win. Life with-
out challenge is an illusion. Accept the
fact that you have ups and downs, just
like everyone else. Your confidence
grows when you actively take on chal-
lenges of life. You won’t win them all,
but with the right attitude you will win
more than enough.
3.
Be thankful.
No mat-
ter how bad your circumstances may
be, there is probably someone worse
off than you. If you doubt this, vol-
unteer your time in the hospital. Put
things into perspective. Think of all
the things (and people) you take for
granted. Most of your problems will
pale in comparison when you take a
mental snapshot of all the benefits you
enjoy everyday.
4.
Push yourself
to accomplish short-
term goals.
There is no greater
way to build confidence than getting
things done. Create an environment
of accomplishment every week. Focus
on three most important targets. Every
day, do something that moves you
closer to finishing a project, closing a
sale or expanding a relationship. Do
not allow yourself to be distracted or
interrupted. By doing so, you will elimi-
nate the feelings of guilt and failure.
Take one step at a time.
Make sure your goals are realistic.
Self-rejection can shatter your con-
fidence, so do not beat yourself up
when others say ‘’NO” to you, do not
take it personal. Accept the fact that
you need to lose sometimes, before
you can win.
5.
Do something for
yourself every week.
Find a way to celebrate your
weekly accomplishments. You
deserve it. If you say ‘’No,” go
back to step one and start
again. The road to con-
fidence is paved with
weekly victories. Learn
to applaud them.
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