Silence your imposter and step into your expertise with these practical tips to boost your confidence.
Between 70-80% of people suffer from Imposter Syndrome at some point in their life. It can really affect your confidence by making you doubt yourself and feel like you aren't good enough. This in turn can limit your growth and willingness to step outside of your comfort zone, this then holds you back from achieving your goals - can you see the vicious cycle this drives?
As a professionally qualified and career and life coach I work with lots of people who struggle with confidence and doubt their own abilities. There is usually a story behind why and what has contributed to this which we address through coaching sessions.
Here are my 5 top tips to how to feel confident and secure in your abilities:
Tip #1 - Make a feel good folder
Make a folder of all your positive endorsements and compliments. This could be emails, messages, client feedback, testimonials, online reviews - whatever speaks to the impact you've had on something or someone. When your imposter is loud and trying to make you doubt yourself, go to your feel good folder and spend 10 minutes reviewing it. Sit and notice how it makes you feel and try to conscious reconnect with what you did and how you did it.
Tip #2 - Track your progress
Creating a simple list or tracker of your results or achievement will be another tangible way to boost your confidence. Focus on being as quantified as you can, this is about seeing the evidence in black and white so that you can reassure yourself of what you can do. Again use it as a chance to reconnect with what you did and how you did it.
Tip #3 - Look inwards, not outwards
The imposter LOVES to highlight what you can't do or to encourage you to compare yourself to others. Whilst this can be helpful to spur you on, it can also really distract you from your own goals by sending you in the wrong direction or impacting your confidence by highlighting experience or skills gaps. So focus on what you CAN do, the skills and unique abilities you bring (and that are evidenced in your feel good folder or achievements tracker). If other people’s progress is a distraction then disconnect from them, unfollow them or limit your exposure. You’re in your own lane, nobody else's.
Tip #4 -Take a chance
Your imposter also loves to keep you small (it's actually trying to keep you safe as it's real job is to scan for and alert you to potential threats). However this won't help you to grow or to move forward towards your goals. So take a chance, try something new. It'll give you evidence of how capable you really are.
Tip #5 - Perfect your confidence pitch
Finally, get clear on who you are and what you can do. Practice saying it out loud or writing it down as much as you can. Believe it, own it, make it your own. The more you believe it the more power you give to yourself, and less to your imposter.
Finally
Confidence takes time to build and can quickly be eroded if you don't have the right strategies in place to tune into it. If you are feeling low on confidence and want to explore why and how to rebuild this - my 1:1 Coaching hours and programmes could help you.
Get in touch for a free discovery call to find out more.
You might also enjoy my other blogs - specifically this "Wear the perfume - how to embrace your inner confidence"
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