With a new year around the corner many people are making their New Year's resolutions. Among the most common resolutions are to stay fit and healthy, lose weight, and enjoy life to fullest. All of these ideas are great, but the problem is that we tend to burn out by February. We live in a culture of immediate gratification, and when we don't see those results quickly enough many of us lose our motivation. To prevent this burn out I suggest a new year's resolution that not only begins a change in your life almost immediately, but that will also help you achieve many other goals.
Self-confidence is a major influence in your daily life, and can effect everything from health, weight gain or loss, work performance (including schoolwork), and so much more. In a study on self-confidence Ohio State University found "if you can picture a future version of yourself succeeding at a goal—say, becoming a doctor or a lawyer—you're more likely to actually achieve it."
The easiest way to achieve this confidence is to act with the confidence you aspire to have. I've had my fair share of self doubt and insecurity, but this was the strategy that allowed me to emerge from that with a feeling that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. My grades, health, and relationships have gotten stronger with improved confidence. If you want to try improving your confidence in the new year, try implementing these habits of highly confident people.
- 1. Highly confident people don't compare themselves to others
2. They celebrate the success of other people without jealousy
3. They forgive themselves for their past mistakes
4. The boost others rather than demean or insult them
5. They worry more about reaching their own goals than what everyone else is doing
6. They take risks, because they are willing to bet on themselves
7. They have a strong sense of who they are
8. They have personal boundaries, and don't violate them to please others
9. They take responsibility for their mistakes, and learn from them
10. They don't let themselves be 'victims' of circumstance
11. They can be alone with their thoughts
12. They prioritize taking care of themselves physically, without becoming obsessed
13. They go after their goals
If these sound like habits you'd like to implement in the new year go for it without reserve. Confidence can allow you to build more genuine relationships, invest in yourself to perform better at work and school, and generally feel more at ease. You've probably heard the phrase "fake it until you make it" - in this case fake it until you become it.
