Confidence - How to Increase It and Use to Your Advantage

Confidence will improve both your personal and professional life, here you will learn how to increase it, and use it to your advantage. Confidence will improve your self-esteem, your performance and trust in yourself to do even more.

If you want to increase your confidence but are not sure how to do it, follow these simple steps and you'll be on your way to more confidence and a better life.

1. Identify Your Talents (Natural and Learned)

2. Identify Your Weaknesses

3. Commit to Continual Learning

4. Learn to Trust Yourself Through Successful Action

Start with a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle to make two columns. In the left column, write down your natural talents. In the right column, write down your learned talents.

There are two types of talents: natural and learned. A natural talent is one that came effortlessly without any formal training, like a childhood talent. Some people are born with an internal calculator and can calculate numbers easily, while others might be naturally talented at drawing or painting. Your natural talents can be whatever you feel you are naturally good at, including sports and physical activities.

Learned talents are those talents you acquire through education, say an engineering degree or fashion design degree. You might have had natural talents that enhanced your learned talents, but you can't become an engineer without getting an accredited education.

Write down everything you know how to do, natural and learned. This exercise might take a few days to really nail down your talents, so if your list is initially short, don't worry. When you remember something you're really good at, just add it to your list. You can call up friends and family and ask them to help you identify your natural and learned talents.

Everyone has weaknesses, and they do serve the purpose of somewhat balancing out our personalities. Having some weaknesses is perfectly normal, but if you don't know what they are, you will not be able to effectively apply talents in any given situation. The point here is to identify your weaknesses so you can work on concentrating on what you're good at and like to do. If you can lessen your weaknesses, great - but for the most part, just identifying them is enough. Once you have identified them, you can build a team with people who complement your strengths.

The more you know, the better equipped you will be in any challenge. Do whatever you can to learn something new every day. Learn to think 'outside the box' and create better ways to be even more efficient and productive to produce even better results. The more you know the more confidence you'll have.

Learning from successful actions is the most powerful way to build your confidence.

Applying your confidence in business can make the difference between a sale and a "thanks, but no thanks." Be clear though, confidence is not the same as arrogance. Confidence will get you the business; while arrogance will get you led to the front door. When you have great strengths and can deliver results, people will want to work with you.

A word of caution; do not up "sell" if you cannot deliver. Over promising and under delivering will damage your credibility and reputation. It's OK to stretch yourself a little, but be honest in all situations. The truth is powerful. It may not always be easy, but is typically appreciated, sooner or later.

Stretch yourself, rise to each occasion and finish strong. Go get 'em!