Monday, April 28, 2008

Sky High Confidence

I realize you already feel that you are a self-confident person. And, you should feel this way, because of all that you have accomplished. Self-confidence is the key to becoming successful in any profession. Self-confidence is an admired attitude in a person. Although, you have already taken the personal steps to become a self-confident person in your career, it is always a good idea to continue in building on that self-confidence. Being self-confident in your chosen profession is very important to your success. However, what if you choose to apply for that position just above your current status? Or, what if you choose to pursue a new found dream of starting your own business? Although, you are comfortable and confident in your abilities in your current job, you will need to build up your confidence level to a degree that will help you advance forward. Increasing your confidence level will give you the ability and confidence to try your best in new situations.

Let’s look at what self-confidence means. It is the belief in one’s ability to succeed through his strengths, abilities and powers. Over time in your career, you will have successes. These successes will build up your self- confidence. Self-confidence is all about balance. In order for self-confidence to be productive for you in your career, it is important to have the right amount of confidence that is based on reality and on your true abilities. With the correct amount of self-confidence, you will be able to take informed risks, stretch yourself to your abilities, and have the desire to try your best. Self confidence needs to be based on reality. Take into consideration your skills and experience. How can your skills benefit the new position you are applying for. Prepare yourself in advance, as this will boost your confidence during an interview. Let’s say you have chosen to start a new business. Remember all of the things you have already accomplished. Make lists of all the goals you have achieved in the past. You have probably made the decision to start your own business in an area you are knowledgeable in, or feel strongly about. If this is the case, reflect back on the reasons you felt you could begin a new journey in the first place. This will help in increasing your self-confidence to allow you to advance on into your new business.

As a confident professional, setting goals is something you are likely familiar with. Now it is time to stretch a little beyond what is comfortable. Setting new goals with tougher challenges will set new targets. Achieving these tougher challenges will make you stronger, and help in building up your self-confidence. This will, also, give you the motivation to reach beyond even these new goals. Be sure to set goals that will take advantage of your strengths, lessen your weaknesses, and recognize your opportunities. You already have that confidence you need to stay in your career, as you are now comfortable with your current position and experience. However, in order to move forward and experience the new and exciting adventures that are available, it is important to continue building your confidence.

Once you have chosen new goals, build the knowledge you need to achieve them. How can you confidently acquire these skills? Research the program or course, and choose one based on the details of the content. Be sure the knowledge you are learning is from a respectable source. Knowledge is power. This power will boost your confidence level to a point that will give you the courage to step out of your comfort zone, and begin creating new successes.
A confident person usually has a positive attitude towards life. Celebrate successes along the way. But, learn to handle failure. It is important to accept that mistakes can happen when trying something new. Try to think of mistakes as learning experiences. This will keep your positive attitude going, and will be more productive in building up your confidence level, which will encourage your success.

To get that confidence level up, strive to be ambitious. Take on realistic challenges based on your skills and experiences. Consider failure an opportunity for learning. Be competitive. Don’t be afraid to dream, but a dream is only a dream, unless you act on it. Visualize success, and be willing to try new ideas, even if it is not your own idea.
Take the necessary steps to improve your knowledge, set more challenging goals, and recognize opportunities for advancing in your career. Taking these steps will give you the motivation to take more powerful risks, which will lead to more successes, which will increase your confidence level, and bring you to the next level of your success. Remember to “turn on your confidence, turn up your success". I am confident you will succeed in building your self confidence level, and, in turn, celebrate success!

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