9 Self Confidence Building Tips for Women: How to Gain Assurance in 14 Days or Less
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Having self confidence is not always easy.
It’s a troubling thought isn’t it…
You’ve got a dirty little secret you’re hiding from everyone.
On the outside, you appear to have it all together. You’re living your life, taking care of your family, hanging with your girls, handling your business.
No one would suspect there’s a nasty problem hovering over the edges of your life.
But there it is. And no matter what you do to try to hide it, you just can’t seem to make it go away.
The problem?
You don’t believe in you.
You lack self confidence.
Oh, you say all the right things, and you’ve got plenty attitude. But deep down, on the inside where we get to the real “real”…
You’re a hot mess. An enormous, twisted, mixed up ball of insecurity.
And you’re afraid someone’s going to discover it, and when they do, they’ll expose your secret and the whole world will know you’re not the person you claim to be.
So how do you stop pretending? How do you actually become the self confident person you claim to be?
Fortunately confidence is learned. It’s not something we’re born with. So if you lack self confidence, it’s something you can fix.
And how do we fix it? By adjusting our thinking and behaviors with consistency and repetition, until being confident becomes habit.
Following are tips you can use to increase self confidence in as little as the next 14 days. And as you practice and repeat them consistently, they will soon become a normal part of your thinking and behavior. Here they are:
9 Tips To Build Your Self Confidence
1. Own who you are.
Your thoughts, your opinions, your looks, your skin color, your decisions, your emotions, your actions, own them all.
Don’t give anyone else credit or blame for who you are or how you feel.
Whether you realize it or not, whether you believe it or not, only you are responsible for how you show up in the world. And you are the only person who wields the power attached to that.
Recognize that you are powerful. You have authority in your circumstances. Use it.
2. Utilize your voice.
You have a unique voice, and there is power in speaking your truth. Speak up for yourself.
Stop waiting for someone speak for you or to speak up for you. Stop waiting for others to recognize you, to appreciate you, to value you, to reward you. Do those things for yourself.
And when you begin to do those things for yourself, it is then that others will begin to do them too.
If you dislike something that’s going on in your life or the way you’re being treated, neither of those things will change until you speak up.
If on the other hand, someone is kind or considerate or treats you in a way that’s to your liking, they will never know it or know to repeat it unless you give voice to your joy and pleasure.
Use your voice. The more you give voice to what you want and need in your life, the more confident you’ll become and the more often those things will begin to show up for you.
3. Strive to be better, always better.
Not perfect because perfection is an illusion and the hunt for it a time-stealer.
Work to be better; better than you were yesterday, better than your last idea, better than you can comfortably imagine, and be always building and improving and moving forward.
4. Be prepared.
Be ready when it’s your turn in the spotlight or on the hot seat.
Whether it’s an academic test, a professional presentation, a job or volunteer interview or an audition, do your work.
Then demonstrate that you know your stuff, or that you possess the skills or abilities needed or required for whatever the task may be.
5. Do what you think you can’t or what you think you wouldn’t.
In other words, Take a chance!
I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve created lifetime experiences from opportunities to do something or be involved in something that I wouldn’t normally do.
And those experiences and memories are some of the best of my life and will last me the rest of my life.
Learn how to be more outgoing. Be willing to experience something you might not be sure you’ll like or think you might suck at, just for the experience of it.
You’ll be surprised how much it will enrich your life, and at the level of confidence you’ll gain from those moments.
6. Remember that the only measuring stick that matters is you.
Stop comparing yourself and your progress against others.
Your story and your life are unique to you. Measuring your life, your development and your advancement against someone else’s just doesn’t make sense.
Everyone’s journey is completely unique, even when there exist similar experiences or circumstances.
How things come into your life, how you perceive information through your personal filter and experience, experience events, how you choose to act in any set of circumstances at any time, and the timing with which any or all of that takes place is unique to you and happens at a pace that is your own.
No two journeys are exactly alike. Your story is your own.
Think of it this way… Pebbles on the beach all look the same when viewed in a group. But upon closer inspection, it quickly becomes evident that no two pebbles are exactly alike.
Each one has been individually molded and shaped by wind and waves and water. Each is absolutely individual and unique, completely distinguishable from any other.
You can only truly measure your progress against yourself. Where were you yesterday, last month, last year, or five years ago.
Don’t compare yourself or your journey against others, when you are like no other.
7. Expect setbacks and failures and be prepared to deal with them.
Don’t allow the unexpected to catch you by surprise.
You may not be able to anticipate specific circumstances, just know that setbacks will come and always be as prepared as you can for their arrival.
This will give you confidence in situations which are uncertain.
You may not immediately foresee the outcome of your circumstances, but you will be able to be confident in knowing that whatever they are, you have the ability to meet your issues head on and overcome them.
When setbacks do show up, be prepared to deal with them in the best most efficient way, so that they can teach you what you need to know in the moment. Then move on.
8. Organize.
You may ask how getting organized helps you to boost your confidence.
Organization brings order to your life. By organizing you become more efficient, you eliminate waste become more productive.
Organization allows you to gain more control over your affairs. Which allows you to manage better, reduces stress in you life, allows you to manage your daily tasks and track your progress to meet your goals.
All of these things work together to spend less time stressing and working and to have more enjoyable time to do the things you want to do rather than be bogged down with the things you have to do.
And all of those things work together to increase your confidence.
9. Ask for the help you need.
So often when we are met with obstacles or challenges, we are reluctant to reveal our predicament for fear of appearing foolish or weak.
Or, we are reluctant to reveal our lack of knowledge of something because we feel we may be judged for what we don’t know or we’ll be made to feel stupid.
In both cases, what you’re really allowing to happen is you’re allowing pride and ego to rob you of the help you need to be and do better.
In this post we have outlined 9 Self Confidence Building Strategies for you to use to help build and improve your level of self confidence in as little as two weeks. They are:
9 Self Confidence Building Strategies
1. Own who you are.
2. Utilize your voice.
3. Strive to be better.
4. Be prepared.
5. Do what you think you can’t or what you think you wouldn’t.
6. Remember that the only measuring stick that matters is you.
7. Expect setbacks and failures and be prepared to deal with them.
8. Organize.
9. Ask for the help you need.
At the end of the day, confidence is a state of mind. It’s the act of you standing in your truth and being willing to own it; the beautiful as well as the woolly parts, the sharp as well as the smooth edges. All of it. All of you. And being cool with that.
Are you wrestling with issues of self confidence? Do you have difficulty learning to be more outgoing? How have you worked to overcome your confidence issues? Let me know in the comments. If you like this post, please share it with your family and friends. Thanks! You’re Awesome!
Kimberly Clay is the founder and creative force behind What She Say. She’s a business professional, writer and editor who’s been creating and managing digital content for nearly twenty years. Her work is now focused in the areas of self-improvement and personal development, and she is passionate about helping other individuals, especially women, to find a path for living their best life.
Excellent post and so important for people to read! I especially love 5 and 6 🙂
Hi Malissa! Thanks! #5 and #6 are two that I’ve certainly had to deal with in my own life, but mastering them has certainly helped make my life a better experience, fuller and richer. I hope they do the same for others!
Oh I love your guide! I’m gonna share them with my friends thanks for sharing!
Glad you found the information helpful! Thanks for stopping by!
I have been struggling with self confidence for a really long time. I recently decided i was going to be who i am regardless who likes it. I pinned this post to hopefully encourage ladies like me.
Hi Leslie! Bravo and good for you! We all have periods in life when self confidence is an issue. Lack of self confidence and fear of failure are two of the biggest dream-killers and obstacles in life. The trick is to acknowledge it and then take steps to do something to improve.
By taking action, doing things to improve ourselves and the lives we live, that’s what helps us to overcome those confidence issues, and eventually be able to pursue the things we want in life and live out the lives we desire.
I’m glad you found this post helpful and worthy of sharing.
All The Best!
Wow also in love with the post. I feel like i have lost myself. Not sure what i stand for anymore. I feel so overwhelmed with life that i now feel numb. It’s scary. I am not sure how to move on. I procrastinate like crazy. I have failed to stick to a routine. But this article has lifted me up. I pray that i can learn from your post. It’s so inspirational
Hi Bella,
Thank you so much for your heartfelt comments. I am so sorry you are going through a difficult time, but I completely understand your feelings. I went through a period several years ago where I experienced some significant life changes and during that time, I experienced similar feelings to the ones you’ve described. And yes, it is scary.
But I want to encourage you, because it does get better. The key is to get quiet in your life, and take the time and make the effort to go inward. By that I mean explore your own mind, heart and spirit. You have to takean inventory of where you are in your life and what got you there, what you want (truly and honestly with no filters), what you believeand what you believe in, and where you want to go.
When you can answer those questions, then the answers to “What should I do?” and “Which direction should I take?” questions begin to reveal themselves and set you on a path.
Finally, you procrastinate because of fear; fear of doing the wrong things, making the wrong decisions, making mistakes or embarrasing yourself along your journey. Let go of that. Tell yourself that it’s okay if you don’t do the “right thing” or go at first in the right direction. Give yourself permission to screw it up. Once that becomes a non-issue, you’re free to move forward. And guess what? I’m betting you’ll do just fine.
Wishing you all the best!
Kimberly
I have always struggled with confidence issues and sad thing I didn’t know it was confidence I always thought it was me who always got it wrong and someone else was right and more especially in relationships fearing to air out what I want and what I dislike because I would fear to offend but this is great I no longer don’t care I let it out as long as it gives me peace and let’s me lose
Hi Rachel,
Many of us, women especially, have or have had confidence issues at one point or another in our lives. The great thing about your situation is “now you know”. You now recognize the confidence issues and you’re already taking steps to effectively deal with them, including changing your perspective in terms of how you see yourself in relationship to others, and using your voice to communicate what you want/need/desire. Good for you! I wish you only the best as you contnue your journey, doing the work to be better and enjoy a life that is a true reflection of you.
All the Best!
Kimberly