What is self-belief?
If you look up self-belief in the dictionary here is what you will find
Self-belief is confidence in your own abilities or judgement.
So according to this definition, for us to have high levels of self- belief, we need to build confidence and focus on our strengths.
This is good to know, but where do we even begin?
I am fascinated by human behaviour. I honestly believe that people are really not that different from one another.
One thing that I know is that the people who have success in all areas of their life including; business, work, relationships, health, emotional, and the spiritual, have high levels of self-belief and self-awareness.
This does not mean they are arrogant; it simply means they trust themselves and their intuition enough and take the necessary steps each day to move towards their dreams.
Often, people seem to think that those who believe in themselves are arrogant and self-righteous. I see this as a misconception and instead would explain the difference between outer confidence and inner confidence.
When it comes to self-belief, this is an inner feeling, a deep sense of knowing who you are at your core, and this comes with a level of trust and acceptance.
On the other hand, when you meet someone you believe to be arrogant; this could be because they are actually insecure and don’t deeply believe in themselves. These people tend to be judgemental, loud and often opinionated.
True levels of self-belief come from within, and that is always the best place to start the journey.
Here are my top five ways you can develop higher levels of self-belief and become more confident today.
1. Start a journal
Get to know yourself on a deeper level and start a daily or weekly journal practise. As mentioned, self-belief comes from knowing and accepting yourself for who you are.
Spending time reflecting on the day or week and getting your thoughts organised and out of your head onto paper is a powerful exercise.
Follow your instincts and write anything that comes to mind.
Top tip, remember this is your private journal, don’t worry about spelling grammar or neat handwriting. Just write whatever is present at that time for you.
2. Focus on your strengths
Write down ten things you are good at. It could be anything; speaking, listening, sports, building relationships, you get the idea.
Top tip. Don’t make it all about work and business! People often tie their whole sense of worth around what they do. This is a big mistake and can have an impact on other elements of your life, such as friends, family and health.
Think about the big picture when you do this exercise. Picture all of your skills and traits.
For example;
I am great at building relationships with people.
I am a great cook
I am good at sport.
I am great at lifting people up and making them feel good.
Final thought; focus on who you are, and not just what you do.
3. Work on your areas of improvement
What are some of the traits and skills you could improve upon that would have a positive impact on your life? I have chosen not to use the word weakness as I believe the vocabulary we use has an impact on our mindset.
I believe if you really want to make a change in any area of your life, it all starts with having the right mindset. If you approach a new challenge with a positive outlook and a determination to make the change, then I have full faith that you will make it happen.
Top tip; have patients and ensure you schedule time in your planner to work on the areas you want to develop.
For example, if you want to enhance your communication skills, you could read a book on public speaking, seek a coach or listen to podcasts and Ted talks. Scheduling time to work on your areas of improvement builds self-belief, especially when you track your results.
4. Look after yourself
Self-love is not selfish.
Taking time out each day for yourself is so important. Try spending the first hour of your day working on yourself.
Why? Because if we are healthy, energetic, positive, calm and present, we can show up for others and have a greater impact.
I used to wake up an hour before work. Rush around the house, run to the train station, grab a quick coffee and slump down in front of my computer. As you can imagine, I was not in the best headspace to serve others or motivate myself for that matter!
Tiered, overwhelmed, lacking energy and not in the right headspace to work towards my goals or help others work towards there’s!
Top tip; Do some exercise, meditate, journal. It all helps to put you in the best headspace so you can start the day in a positive mindset.
Have a daily routine and make it a habit. Even small gradual changes will result in huge mental and physical health improvements.
5. Use affirmations
Affirmations are so powerful. I have found the best way to start using affirmations is first to slow the mind and connect to the body. You can do this by taking three deep breaths. Once you are back in the present moment, start repeating an empowering affirmation over and over again.
Here are a few to get you started
“ I love and accept myself for who I am.”
“ I am capable of achieving greatness.”
“I attract positivity, health, wealth and abundance into my life.”
You can literally reprogram your brain by doing this a few times a day. Repeat them as soon as you wake up, and before you go to bed.
With such a positive focus each day, this habit will have a pretty big impact on your self-belief.
I hope this article helps you develop your self-belief.
Georgie Hubbard
Director of Innovation and Growth
