1. Turn off the 'Inner Critic' -if there is a voice inside your head constantly telling you 'can't' or criticising your efforts/appearance/intelligence etc this is one of the most debilitating factors for feeling confident. Try turning the 'critic' into a 'coach' who positively encourages and sees the good. If that doesn't help try making the critical voice sound like Mickey Mouse or Homer Simpson. It's hard to take it seriously and becomes easier to ignore.
2. Say 'Thanks, I'll think about that'. if you are unlucky enough to have an over critical family member, colleague etc they can seriously bring your confidence levels down with their constant nit-picking and negativity. Use the phrase 'Thanks, I'll think about that' next time they give you 'advice'. This gives you a buffer and stops the critical advice seeping in.
3. Remember that every opportunity you pass up is another one lost. My advice to the undergraduates was 'it is better to try and fail than never to try at all.' I've had my fair share of failure (my textile company
Hackamac was wound up within a year) But I learned a lot along the way and above all I'm glad I tried. Do you want to get old and wonder 'what if....?' Be the person who says 'I'm glad I did...'.
4. Ask 'What's the worst that can happen?' This mantra has worked for me when trying new things or seizing opportunities. Think about the disadvantages and benefits and make rational decisions. Take small risks to start with, that way if you do fail you fail on a small scale. Never ever worry about what other people think. They are too busy worrying about what you think of them.
5. Time travel -not literally but mentally. Fast forward 6 months or a year and think about how important this will be then. Imagine you are 75 years old and looking back over your life. Is this incident one of the things you remember? Put events, disagreements, disappointments into context and move on. Stop replaying them in your mind or complaining about them with other people, each time you do you eat away a bit more of your own confidence and positivity.
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