Having self confidence is important if you plan on achieving anything. But don't assume you need to earn self confidence. Instead, realize that it can be manufactured & learned. Here are 5 simple ways to be more self confident.

1. Visualize yourself being confident

Visualization and mental imagery are continuously used and discussed in almost all areas of personal development. The same goes for self confidence. If you want more self confidence, you have to see yourself as a confident person. And I'm not talking about seeing with your eyes. The seeing takes place in the back of your brain, called the visual cortex. To compare it to a camera, your eyes are the lens and the visual cortex is the tape that's recording. Take some time out of your day and completely relax. Clear your mind of all thoughts, feelings, ideas, and focus on the darkness of your eyelids. Create scenes where you are speaking to people confidently in a strong level tone. Reply these images in your mind over and over with clarity and emotion. Make them real in your mind, and remember to have fun. Over time, you'll begin to associate your self image with that of a confident, focused, disciplined, powerful person.

2. Speak Confidently to others

This can be done one of two ways. First, find some friends and ask them if you can do an experiment with them. Tell them that you are going to act extremely confident and want some feedback. This simulated experience is a great way to practice. When you're with friends, the tension is less, and the attitude is more playful. There are no risks, so nothing can go wrong. Once you have mastered talking to your friends in your new proud and confident tone, it's time to test your skills in the real world. Start with co-workers and strangers, then work your way up. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel. Once you've mastered speaking confidently & feel comfortable, maybe it's time to go ask for that promotion you've been wanting!

3. Use Strong Body Language

Assert yourself with a strong posture. Whether you are standing or sitting, keep your shoulders square and relaxed, hold your head up and sit/stand tall. Body language accounts for almost 80% of your judgements when you first meet someone. All of this is done unconsciously without thought or reflection. By using powerful, assertive body language, you automatically give yourself an advantage. People will respond to you better, and take you more seriously. You're confidence will greatly increase once you see the change in people's perception of you.

4. Use External Stimuli

External stimuli can be simplified as any outside source that triggers a mental and emotional state. Before every game, Dennis Rodman would sit on the sideline with headphones on as his teamed warmed up. His teammates found it irritating and disrespectful that he wouldn't warm up with the team. His teammates asked him what he was listening to that was more important than warmup, and he would tell them Pearl Jam. However, he was actually lying. Rodman's external stimuli, or trigger to psyche him for the game wasn't Pearl Jam. It was an audio recording of Dennis Rodman giving himself positive encouragement. On the recording, he told himself he was the best rebounder in the NBA. He later became the NBA's best rebounder two years in a row. He knew that this was the only warmup he needed. This is how important, and effective using external stimuli is. You may want to make an audio recording of yourself giving positive encouragement to build your confidence. It worked for Dennis Rodman, and it can work for you as well.

5. Act The Part

Pretending you are highly confident yields better results than you could imagine. You'd be surprised at how well this works. Have you ever noticed that every single actor/actress has extremely high confidence? Do you know why this is? It's because they've mastered the act. They understand that all life, and situations are acts playing themselves out on a daily basis. Just realize that although your personality & body language has become habitual, it is all still an act. You're playing your own role in the movie of life. You can change that role anytime you'd like.

Practice & Persistance

You've heard this since you were a kid, "Practice makes perfect." But it's not 100% true. The truth is that perfect practice makes perfect. Practice these
5 tips as often as you can, and you will be rewarded with the benefits of self confidence.

Photography by Penny Mathews

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