Everybody wants to gain self-confidence. And for good reason, true confidence allows you to feel good about yourself and your abilities. You smile more and have an upbeat and pleasant demeanour because you genuinely love yourself and your life. As a result, you attract people (and opportunities) to you effortlessly because of the warm vibe of friendliness you exude to the rest of the world. I can’t think of a single person who doesn’t like being around warm hearted and friendly people.

Unfortunately, for much of our society, people are lacking the salutary quality of self-confidence. If you happen to feel like you’re one of the people who fall into this category, don’t sweat it. Because I am going to share 3 powerful ways for you to gain self-confidence in life.

1. Try New Things

It’s impossible for self-confidence to grow within the confines of your comfort zone. You must venture off into the unknown, step beyond where you currently are to expand your confidence. You do this by trying new things. When was the last time you broke out of your usual routine and tried something different? Do you even remember? We can get so caught up in our day-to-day lives that oftentimes we miss the forest for the trees.

It becomes so easy to fall into a rut once we land in a cozy and comfortable position in life. And that’s exactly when your self-confidence will begin to wane and wax. What is it that you’ve been thinking about trying, but have yet to take the plunge? Do you want to try your hand at stand up? Maybe take up a martial art? Or possibly enroll in dance lessons? It’s up to you – what do you want to do?

By trying things that excite, challenge, and even frighten you, you are forcing yourself beyond your current limits of comfortability. And being on the fringes of your comfort zone in this way forces you to adapt and develop traits within yourself that are lying dormant at the moment – and it’s in this “dance” that real growth takes place. And growth, of course, is a huge contributing factor not just to your self-confidence but your overall wellbeing as a person.

2. Get Your Finances In Order

On the surface, this may seem like an arbitrary thing when it comes to confidence. But money plays an inordinate role in all of our lives and can have a tremendous effect on your level of self-confidence. Having money gives you options and freedom. It makes you more confident in job interviews, business negotiations, and makes you feel more stable in life.

Not having money gives way to scarcity, frustration, and despair. And it makes sense, it’s hard to feel confident in yourself when you’re broke, in debt, and living paycheck to paycheck. But it doesn’t have to be this way because, with the right plan and a strong desire, anyone can turn their financial situation around, and as a result, strengthen their ability to stand on their own two feet – which is invaluable for gaining self-confidence.

Boost Self-Confidence Through Your Financial Situation Via These 4 Steps

1. Get on a budget — keep track of all expenses. Every dollar that comes in and every dollar that goes out – make sure it is all accounted for.
2. Live On Less Than You Make — This is simple, if you are constantly spending more money than you’re bringing in, then you’ll never get ahead.
3. Clear All Debts – If you’re in debt, then every dollar above your basic living expenses should be going to pay off your creditors.
4. Build An Emergency Fund – Most financial experts agree; you should have 3 to 6 months worth of expenses saved strictly for emergencies (car repairs, a job loss, illness in the family, etc). Just think of how confident and free you’d feel being debt-free, with $10,000+ in your bank account.

Now, of course, money is not the end-all, be-all for feeling good about yourself. However, there is something to be said about the self-assuredness it affords you. Get this component of your life under control and I promise you, your self-confidence will skyrocket as a result.

“Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.” – Lucille Ball

3. Respect Yourself

There is no bigger confidence killer in life than viewing and treating yourself poorly. That is why it is absolutely essential to respect who you are. Now, I understand that may seem like a bit of a vague statement, what does it mean to “respect yourself” in practical terms?

It’s going to the gym and exercising regularly, it’s eating healthy, it’s following through on commitments you made to yourself (as well as others), it’s spending time with people who love and care about you, it’s working on passions and hobbies that bring you joy and happiness.

It’s setting and enforcing healthy boundaries when people cross the line, it’s not tolerating disrespectful behavior from anyone, without standing up for yourself. Simply put, respecting yourself means doing what’s in your best interest, and not putting up with low-quality behavior from yourself or others. This is how respecting yourself will allow you to gain self-confidence.

3 Ways To Gain Self-Confidence Through Self-Respect

• Speak Your Mind – Say what you’re really thinking or feeling. Too many people censor themselves because they feel their thoughts are not “politically correct”, or they’re afraid they might offend someone. GOOD. By speaking your mind, you will see who really likes you for you, and who you should kick to the curb.
• Stop Giving Up – When you say you will do something, do it. Stop giving up on yourself and your aspirations so easily. Developing persistence is one of the best ways to earn your own self-respect and as a natural byproduct – gain self-confidence.
• Walk Away – Leave any situation (or person) that is not conducive to your growth and development. When you value yourself, you will not stay in an environment where your sense of wellbeing is compromised. This includes jobs, lovers, friends, business associates, etc. Leave them all behind if they are not serving and helping you on your journey.

When you respect and treat yourself as a person of value, you can’t help but gain self-confidence.