Like me, most you probably struggle with confidence problems. Whether we’re talking about standing up for yourself, taking a huge career risk or just feeling smart. I’m a highly shy and introvert person, and know a lot of people argue that if you’re shy you can’t have a blog centered on your life but, let me tell you, I Life You helped me in more ways than one to believe in myself, take chances and step out of comfort zone.
Why? Because I wasn’t comfortable exposing myself like this, in front of a camera or readers, and now I feel like I’m developing a sense of self bigger than I could ever imagine. It’s challenging and I push my boundaries each and every single day, trying to tell you my story. Like many things in our life, confidence is something you can learn to have and practice regularly – like exercising or a lifestyle change.
Say yes.
This might actually sound very simple, but more often than not, we tend to stay in our comfort zone and just do things we are used to. By saying yes to what you are being asked, you step out of the box, grab uncomfortable situations and that’s, actually, where you start to get to know yourself. For me, the biggest step I ever took was moving out of Portugal – first to Dubai and now to the United States.
Learn something new.
We should never stop learning, and this does not mean going back to school. Learn a new skill, a new modality, a new sport, a new language, a new country, but motivate yourself to search for new and different things. For me it comes down to everything I’m learning to write and manage the blog, which allows me to broaden my limits and horizon.
Exercise.
Very, very basic. When you exercise, you tend to feel better with yourself, not only because you’re taking care of your body and mind, but because you pushed and worked hard. It’s not easy for me to find motivation to workout, but every time, I think about the end feeling, about getting a better night sleep and improving a little bit each day.
Get social.
When you are surrounded by friends and family, you socialize and get your wheels spinning. Talking to other people, being supportive and getting support back is important. Especially when you have friends who challenge you.
Ask for help.
You should never refrain from asking for help. No one knows everything and if you act like you do, you won’t look confident or an expert, but arrogant and individual. It’s important to know where your knowledge ends and another person begins and, to ask for help is to be humble and confident enough that you don’t know something but someone else might and probably will.