Investing in Self-Confidence
The fast-paced nature of today’s “real world” inherently contributes to a current prevalent culture of competition. While there is plenty of value in competition, constantly comparing oneself to coworkers, friends, or even strangers can be detrimental to how you measure your own value, resulting in a severe lack of self-confidence.
Struggling with self-worth can be paralyzing – but it doesn’t have to be terminal. There are plenty of outlets and actionable steps a person can take to re-establish control of their own lives and genuinely feel good about who you are, and crucially the person you are working towards becoming. Here are a few suggestions to get started:
Do things by yourself in public
Doing things alone forces you to practice making decisions and take charge. Go see a movie, go to a new restaurant, travel somewhere new – it doesn’t matter. Putting yourself in a situation where you have to rely on yourself is a good first step at becoming comfortable in your own skin.
Learn a skill
Rather than thinking “Self, I’m going to go out and build some confidence today”, instead pick a new skill or activity to learn and go do that instead. Invest in it. Master it. Get so good at it that people will come to you for help; however, keep in mind that the goal of acquiring a new skill isn’t to get people’s attention. It may be a long time before you reach the level of competence you desire, but remember that the journey is just as important as the end result. It’s okay to screw up – even a small amount of progress is significant.
“Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.” – G.K Chesterton
Go to the gym/exercise
Caring about your self-image/body-image can earn you the label of being superficial – I wholeheartedly reject that claim. Getting good physical exercise on a regular basis is bound to improve not only how you feel about the way you look, but you will feel good about working towards bettering yourself. I feel it’s important to note that as with any task, you need to bring the required energy to get out of it what you desire, in this case, a confidence boost. Bring your A game every day (or most, no one is perfect), and I guarantee you will start to see positive results both physically and mentally.
Volunteer
Volunteering is a wonderful resource for getting out in the community and meeting a wide range of people. On top of stretching yourself and jumping into what is likely at first an uncomfortable situation, there is such a need for community work. Countless people have no one advocating for them and are in need of a helping hand. Helping those around you and working hard with like-minded people can positively impact your everyday psyche.
Work to accept who you are
You have to forgive yourself and allow yourself to make mistakes if you want to feel better about yourself. Challenge the way you think about yourself. Often times people are so understanding and forgiving of others’ shortcomings but don’t allow themselves the tiniest bit of wiggle room. Sure, you definitely want to be careful not to become accustomed to falling short of your goals; nonetheless, taking some pride in the person you are today contributes constructively to your ego.
This list obviously isn’t exhaustive, and it’s also fair to assume not every suggestion will work for everyone. Only you (and potentially those closest to you) know what you are passionate about and what your goals are. I encourage you to take some time to reflect on your values and select a couple of activities that are tailored towards what will positively impact how you feel about yourself. It’s really hard to get other people to like you when you don’t even like yourself. Cut yourself a little slack, and sincerely try to get to know yourself – you just might like what you find.
