Confidence is not something that you learn how to do once and never have to learn how to do it again.
Confidence is something that you have to practice every single day. Confidence comes when you are brave enough to do something that feels uncomfortable, uncertain, or just downright scary. Alone it is just a word. When you put it into action it changes you. Being brave enough to be a savvy businesswoman and going after your goals builds your confidence muscle. And if not used often it can relax and slide back just like any other muscle. It is not easy to stand up against your competitors or be seen as less than in the marketplace because you are a woman. But it is no reason to not go after your dreams and goals. Being brave enough to stand up and own your space in your industry is what will keep you going when it is hard and you get to stand out for that bravery. I bet you think you are lazy and you procrastinate at going after what you want! What if I tell you that you are not lazy! Every woman I have met who is an entrepreneur will say to themselves “I am being lazy” or “I don’t know why I procrastinate so much”. Say this out loud I AM NOT LAZY! Because the reality is that you probably work a lot but you are putting the things that scare you the most aside because you are waiting until you have enough confidence to go after it. You just need to be brave and step in. You can do this!
Here are a few tips when you need a little more confidence or may not feel like being brave today.
- Think about a successful business woman who is confident and act, talk and walk like them. Model their mannerisms and behavior. As if she in your personal mentor, hold your head up and go for it. It works for them; it will work for you.
- Smile a lot more. That doesn’t mean putting a silly grin on your face! But smile when you walk down the street, when you meet people and generally be happier even if you’re not feeling that way. This releases the good chemicals in your brain which help you step into something much more confident.
- Learn from the past; don’t beat yourself up about it. Throw away your golden hammers. It’s gone; it’s never coming back. Instead learn from it for next time. Forgive yourself and move on.
- Buy yourself some new clothes, get your hair done or treat yourself to something new. If it makes you feel better, it will give your ego a boost which makes you stand a little taller and be more confident.
- Are you prepared for situations? Are you prepared enough to meet any challenge that may come up? Are you prepared for that meeting, that presentation, that job interview, when you meet someone for the first time? If not, get prepared! Confidence shows up when you know what you are talking about and presenting to someone else. If you are “winging it” your lack of confidence will show up and will turn into distrust.
- Play to your strengths. Know what you are good at and expose yourself to these opportunities whenever you can – because you’re good at it, you’ll enjoy it and have more confidence. As you get more practice you will strengthen that skill and you will be more confident.
- Improve your weaknesses. Know and appreciate what your weaknesses are and put a plan in place to improve them over time. Practice your weaknesses so they can become your strengths.
- Learn how to say no to people. No is a single sentence. Don’t be afraid, you’ve got nothing to be afraid of. If you think you want to say no then say it. People may not like to be told no, but they will respect you for standing up for you. No does not need an explanation either. Thank you, but I am going to have to say no to this opportunity. Then stop talking about it. When you say yes to something that you don’t want to do then you are also saying no to something you do want to do.
- Be in charge of your thoughts at all times. What is a thought? It’s just a question that you’ve asked yourself and the thought is you’re answer. If you’re thinking negative thoughts, you’re probably asking a negative question. Change the questions to be more positive. Positive questions will move you forward in life. When you are brave enough to look for the answers then your inner critic stops trying to knock you down. You’ve got this!
- Ladies, do you let the words of others affect you? Remember that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. It’s not what they say to you that’s the problem it’s what you say to yourself after they have stopped talking that’s the problem. Shift your thinking to support you not them. If there is no truth to what they are saying then move on. If there is some truth you can ask yourself if it matters to you. If not move on. If it matters, how will you resolve it within you to no longer give it power to affect you negatively?
- At the end of each day list the achievements and successes you had throughout that day. Keep a journal for yourself on the “Greatness I See In Me Is”. Open it up and review it as needed. Any bad day will do for you to remind yourself of the successes you are capable of and that this feeling will pass.
- Every morning when you’re in the shower, play over in your head the events you have scheduled in the day ahead as though they have already happened and they were a success. Visualize all of the meetings that you have scheduled, the people you will talk to, the outcomes you created and how they turn out in win-win situations. Visualize success and confidence and it will be so.
- Improve your body language. The way that you move your body has a massive impact on your confidence levels. Move your body assertively and walk with your head up, shoulders back and as though you’ve got somewhere very important to go. Feeling low in confidence? Change your body language! Create some energy within your body and shift your body. Be proud! You Matter!
- Learn to brag about yourself. Yes, you heard me! Talk about your achievements and successes more than you currently are. Tell people what you are good at and what you like to do. Maybe you will have something in common or you can teach them something new.
To be a savvy businesswoman you want to take on the things that no one else is willing to take on.
Savvy businesswomen call the people you don’t want to call and you do the things you don’t want to do until you hire someone else to do them and make those calls. You have to step in and be brave when others are telling you to quit or give up. You might miss the mark every now and again but that is okay. Everyone does from time to time. Don’t ever listen to someone who says they never fail because they are not taking risks. We, strong businesswomen, take risks and we breathe through them. Pay attention to how you feel and own your space in your marketplace!
If you want to know how to overcome procrastination and create more results…
Get a mentor, a coach, or a consultant that can guide you to creating your results. One of the best ways to step into bravery is to say “I am not meant to do this by myself”! So ask for help and go after your goals, dreams, and visions for your future. Don’t procrastinate any longer, join me over in the Wisdom Highlights for Entrepreneurs Facebook Group and get more hints, tips, and ideas to be a confident savvy businesswoman.
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