We all have that one person in our lives whose confidence is just so damn out of this world. Their presence can be felt the minute they walk in the room. Their attitude is what society refers to as ‘goals’ and they conquer the day like it’s nobody’s business. If you want to know how to be that person, I can’t tell you. But below you can find some of the ways that always help me when I’m in need of a little confidence boost.
Stay out of your comfort zone
A comfort zone is that invisible line we draw around ourselves. Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt. At first it doesn’t feel right. The more you stay within your comfort zone though, the more you feel like it’s okay to have an average life. Have no expectations and you won’t be disappointed, right? As happy as you can be in your comfort zone, that’s not where you’re meant to be. At least not yet. Fear can be a good thing when it makes us aware of danger and keeps us safe. But not everything we fear is actually harmful for us. Sometimes, the things we’re afraid of, end up being the most eye-opening experiences. Best-selling author and podcaster Tim Ferriss recommends incorporating as many challenging activities in your daily life as you can. I always find it hard to start a conversation with a stranger. But the satisfaction I get whenever I do, and that stranger turns out to be an interesting human being, just makes it all worth it.
Try power dressing
When I say power dressing, this image of Miranda (The Devil Wears Prada) wearing a high waisted skirt, crisp white shirt and a tailored blazer pops into my head. Let’s just be honest here, you learned a lot about confidence when you saw that film as a teenager. We’ve all been there. In the late 70s and early 80s, power dressing was adopted by women who wanted to establish their authority and project an image of efficiency. If they wanted to be taken seriously, they had to fit in a world strictly dominated by men. W Magazine have this brilliant piece on power dressing for 2017, so have a read. I find that even the tiniest change like wearing heels to work for a day makes such a difference. It’s time to unleash your inner Miranda.
Find yourself a girl squad
Call them your clique, crew, gang, whatever. Having your girls by your side to remind you how beautiful, intelligent and strong you are is the ultimate dream. The amount of #girlpower I see in media and life in general, just makes me feel proud I was born in this age! Moving from a ‘Mean Girls’ era to a ride or die relationship with your BFF’s is just what we all need. Finding yourself a support team to lean on can be a huge confidence boost. I can’t even count the times I’ve been crying on my bestie’s shoulder for hours until we get to that point when she reaches to get me a lipstick from her bag and tells me to pull myself together. That’s exactly what you need when you find yourself in a difficult situation, isn’t it?
Book a flight
Sometimes, we need to step aside from a situation, in order to see things from a new perspective. I’m just making excuses to book my next trip, really. As if I need one. Travelling allows you to be in control and choose your own path. It’s the only time when your boss is not around (unless you’re on a business trip) and you’re completely free to do whatever feels right at any given moment. When travelling, we find ourselves in situations where we have to overcome language barriers, get a taxi without being ripped off, eat something of a questionable origin or even survive without wi-fi for a couple of hours. The latter being the hardest one to cope with. Most of the time we don’t even realise how travelling helps us confront our weaknesses and challenge ourselves in a productive way. If that’s not the kind of confidence boost you need, I don’t know what is. Have you started looking at flights already?
I would love to hear what helps you build your confidence the most?
Yours
Michelle x