3 daily habits that build confidence & self-trust
Everyone has little routines that they do everyday- brushing their teeth each morning, daily prayers, nightly skincare routine…
but few people have daily habits that help them build their confidence and strengthen their self-trust.
New habits can sometimes feel like another check on the to-do list, so finding ways to incorporate confidence building habits naturally into our daily lives is key to helping our minds switch from insecure to I got this.
Habit #1 - Keep one small promise to yourself each day.
You know the scene- you tell yourself the night before that you’re going to work out the next day or you’re going to make breakfast at home instead of stopping by Starbucks. Then morning comes and you’re rushed or tired and think meh, I’ll just skip today or I don’t feel like it.
We all do it. But each time you make a promise to yourself then break it, you’re telling your brain that you can’t be trusted. It sounds dramatic but that's just how brains work. It needs to be fed certain information and if that information is “I don’t ever hold myself accountable” then that’s the belief it will hold.
Think of it like a toddler. If you tell her that tomorrow you’ll take her to the park and then you decide when the time comes that you’re too tired, she learns she can’t take you at your word and soon, she stops believing you’ll actually do it.
When you make a promise to yourself and see it through, it tells your brain that your word is good and it will happen. When you trust yourself- whether it be to go hang out with a friend or something bigger like deciding to take an internship- you feel confident in your ability to make decisions for yourself and don’t get stuck in always doubting yourself or overthinking.
Habit #2- Speak to yourself like someone you look up to
Imagine meeting a person you admire. Now imagine when they greet you, you say something like “Oh I thought you’d be prettier or wow, your skin is really bad!”
You’d NEVER.
But we talk to ourselves like this all the time. I’m a big offender in this department. The constant barrage of talking down to ourselves may seem harmless, but it’s killing your confidence.
When you do this day after day, you brain believes it to be true, so it says yeah, I guess I am stupid and incapable. So that when a big opportunity comes up, your brains tells you, “Hey remember- you’re dumb, this isn’t for you.”
Start becoming aware of the way you speak to yourself and about yourself. Accept the compliment, say thank you instead of deflecting a positive comment, become just delusional enough that you think as highly of yourself as you do your favorite celebrity.
If that seems difficult, just begin by catching yourself like I did. Whenever I’d say something self-deprecating, I’d stop myself and say something more uplifting. That small change made a huge difference in how I view myself and what opportunities I allow myself to go after.
Habit #3- Do one thing that scares you a little
Fear is the ultimate dream-killer. It’s the roadblock that keeps you stuck in the same. I had to learn how to overcome my fears of being seen and failing to move to my next level. It’s uncomfortable and man I love comfort, but I also wanted to grow because staying in the same place was even scarier.
Now I’m not saying everyday you have to go out and make a fool of yourself by dancing in public in your underwear, what I am saying is make one small move you might otherwise shy away from out of fear. Ask the question in class. Go to the meetup. Talk to the cute guy. Speak up for yourself.
Every single time you do this, you strengthen your resilience to failure. Even if the outcome isn’t what you want, you tell your brain you are capable of doing hard things. And it gets a tiny bit easier each time until eventually, you do it without even having to think about it. Or, you acknowledge the fear and move anyway. This habit has changed the trajectory of countless lives, probably most of the people you look up to.
No one is handed their dream. They made it happen one scary step after another. Sometimes it just take one second of bravery.
When you add these three habits, you start building a case that tells you you are the kind of person who deserves the things they want. The kind of person that commands a room or gives off good vibes. And you’ll begin naturally attracting all that’s meant for you.
Try just one this week and see what happens. Even if you don’t notice anything right away, I promise you, you are laying the foundation for amazing things to come your way and setting yourself up for future wins.
