Through the lens of my mind

One of the things that has always held me back from pursuing my dreams was a fear of failure and a lack of self-confidence; something that I needed to overcome that fear.

Fear is something we all face, to some degree, I think. The question is: How do we overcome that fear? By working on your self-confidence and self-esteem.

That’s what I’ve been doing over the years, and that’s what helped me finally overcome my fears, and finally pursue my dreams.

Still, to this day, I have those fears. But now I know that I can conquer them. I’ve done it many times now, and that success will fuel only further success.

Here is a list of ten things that you can do right now to help improve your confidence. Nothing spectacular or out of this world, but they are things that I like to do that I know help with improving confidence.

Personal grooming. There’s nothing like a good haircut to give you a boost of self-confidence. Also, taking a shower and put on some cologne is a nice supplement to this.

Dress nicely. Wearing nice clothes makes you feel good about yourself. This doesn’t mean go out and buy the most expensive thing on the rack, but look presentable. Wear what you know will make you feel good about yourself.

Think positive. Replace your negative thoughts with positive ones. This one small thing can bring about major changes in your life. Think positive about yourself, situations, and about people.

Do an act of kindness. Be kind to others. Volunteer. Give in charity. It can be big or small, but doing an act of kindness is a surefire way to give your confidence a boost.

Straighten up. Straighten your back and stand tall. Let the blood flow freely and let your lungs open up. A good technique I learned in school was to imagine that there was a rope pulling at the top of my head and that the rest of my body straightens accordingly.

Smile. And smile at others while you’re at it. It’s one small thing that can have a positive effect on yourself and others.

Exercise. There’s a connection between physical fitness and confidence. Even taking a walk a few times a week can help you to see a difference inside of yourself.

Learn something new. Sign up for a class. Use the internet to research a useful skill that you’ve been wanting to learn.

Set and achieve a small goal. Don’t try to eat the entire elephant all at once. Take it bit by bit and start with something smaller that will make you feel good. Set a goal you know you can achieve, and achieve it. After doing this a few times, move up to bigger and better things.

Do something you’ve been procrastinating about. Get up and get it done, and do it first thing in the morning. Trust me, you’ll feel much better once it’s done and out of the way.