Top 3 Tips for Building Self Confidence

We all have some pretty rough days and being comfortable in your own skin doesn’t come easy for everyone. There are times when I’m hard on myself, but I’ve learned a few key habits to help me gain better perspective and feel more confident in who I am. Now that I am in another country, new space in unfamiliar territory and out of my regular routine, those habits are things I constantly refer to and help me be more positive, grounded and more confident.

Here are three things that helped me gain more self confidence:

1) Dress Your Best

I once saw this saying that said, “Dress as though you were going to meet your worst enemy today” and really liked it. Dressing well is not about trends. It’s about how good and confident you feel when you wear something. You can run into anyone at any time. When you look great, you often leave feeling good about an encounter. The best pick-me-up when you feel bad about yourself, or when nothing seems to fit is to pull your most flattering, killer outfit from the closet and tell yourself that you look good. There’s nothing like a fresh face, a great pair of shoes or a favorite color dress/coat to give you a boost. If you dress well, you will feel it and own every room you’re in.  Giving yourself this boost of confidence can change your attitude and outlook in a very positive manner.

2) Appreciate & Embrace Your Unique Features

Learning to embrace what you have and appreciate them is so important and not simple for many, but think of it this way: we fall in love with the special characteristics and features of our friends and family because it’s what makes them unique. Perfection is subjective. Being a good person is more important and we don’t spend time with people because they are perfect. We love them because they’re great people to be around and that overall beauty that’s inside and outside always shines through.

3) Be Adaptable and Roll with the Changes that Come Your Way

I remember when I came back from living in Japan for a year, I wasn’t sure if I’d end up finding a good job again in branding and marketing.  I was scared, but I didn’t want to make excuses for not being able to find a good role. I set some goals and pushed myself to achieve them. I wanted a management role by the end of 2 years, so I took an internship, volunteered, went to many events, met tons of people and also took on a few great contract jobs that let me pick up some new skills relevant to those goals. I went beyond what my role required and it helped me build my resume. Most of the time it meant not being able to see my friends on the weekends or be at the events I wanted to attend, but I tried my best to make up for those missed opportunities and ended up achieving all the goals I set for myself within 2 years. If you put your mind to something and go after it, good things will come. I know it is not always easy to get to your ultimate goal. It can take a lot of work and time, but if you tell yourself that your challenges are just bumps in the road and that you can do it, you absolutely will find the strength to. In fact, many entrepreneurs who “fail” multiple times and eventually reach success many years later, usually say that they’ve hit many “bumps on the road” before they reach success.  Being adaptable to these changes and bumps in the road and changing the way you see these challenges can really help you own your self confidence. Your mind has the ability to carry you through so many trials on self image, your relationship with yourself and your own success. If you hit a bump in the road, don’t let it deter you because when you finally reach your goals, whether it’s weight loss, career or relationships, you’ll appreciate and drink in that success so much more. There isn’t really failure-  only tons of learning experiences. Adapt to that bump in the road and forge on. No one is perfect – not even close.

I hope these tips help now or somewhere down the road.  If you enjoyed this post, please comment below.  What are some of your own ways on building self confidence? I’d love to hear!

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Outfit:  Ostrich feather belt from BCBG MaxAzria here.  Shoes from Miu Miu similar here.  Sunglasses from Fendi.  Clutch from ZARA (old). Dress from SheInside here.

Photo credit to my one and only, Rise Again BJJ