Low self-esteem is as good as prophecying ill feelings toward yourself and fulfilling your own prophecy.
The sad part is that feeling less about yourself, or feeling terrible about yourself will make you lose complete interest in taking actions to build your life the way you want it, or to even build your self-esteem.
Feeling terrible about yourself will make you spiral into total depression that could be fatal.
But there are ways can you stop the vicious cycle and move in a more positive direction.
No. It is not an overnight solution. It is a process. The important thing is to get started and keep moving until you find yourself in a better place.
So I’ve compiled 19 powerful steps you need to improve your self-esteem and build your confidence and your dreams, quickly
1. Master Your Skills.
What’s that thing you love doing, or that business or project or idea you really want to excel at? Practice it. Keep working on it until you get it right. Mastering your skills will help build your confidence and motivate you to feel bold in presenting it to others.
2. List Your Accomplishments.
Get a diary and list down all your accomplishments. You should also feel free to talk about your accomplishments. It reminds you that you’ve been doing great and can still do great.
3. Do Something Creative.
Take on creative tasks. It helps keep you busy and adds a great sense of purpose in your life again. It stimulates your brain and such creative stimuli can help improve several aspects of your life. Creativity involves singing, making something with your hands, drawing, acting, starting a podcast or a blog, working on your make-up tricks, starting a YouTube video just for fun or to share fun creative ideas.
4. Work on Your Values.
Sit back and meditate on your life and list out those areas of your life that conflict with your values and personal belief. Knowing exactly what you stand for and actually standing for it, will help your confidence and self-esteem, grow.
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5. Put Away Limiting Beliefs
What are those things you tell yourself you can’t do? Start doing them. Even if you make errors, do it. Even if people mock you, keep doing it until you master it. Don’t let your mistakes stop you.
6. Get Off Your Comfort Zone.
Try new things, reach out to new employers if you’re a freelancer, make new friends, take on new tasks, take a trip. Do something different from the usual; something that is great and will boost your self-confidence, but you’re scared of.
7. Help Someone.
Use your skills, your talent, your resources and even your knowledge, to help people. I find that when I help people, I feel more satisfied and fulfilled. It also boosts my self-esteem and self-confidence. Even Will Smith said in an interview, that he never really understood fulfilment until he started helping people.
8. Heal Your Past.
Unresolved issues and drama can fuel ow self-esteem, especially when you feel you were wrong. Get the assistance of a certified counsellor to help you heal and rebuild your self-esteem.
9. Stop Worrying About What Others Think.
You can’t be yourself around people because you worry about what they think of you. Stop it. You need to make a firm decision not to care what others say. If they laugh, let them laugh. They’ll be the ones to praise you in the nearest future for being brave and determined.
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10. Read Inspirational and Motivational Books/pamphlets
Reading motivational stories and quotes goes a long way in building your self-esteem and keeping your thoughts positive
11. Face Your Fears
Don’t run from your fears. Face them head-on. Self-esteem and confidence are mostly found between your deepest desires and your worse fears.
12. Let Negative People Go.
Do not entertain negative people in your life. Hang out with those who tell you, it is possible. And give you encouraging words. When you’re with positive people, you find you’re always positive and ready to take on any challenge.
13. Create Boundaries
There are certain aspects of your life you should not share with people. Ensure you make this clear, and make people respect your boundaries. They should know that ‘no’ means, ‘no’.
14. Take Care of Your Appearance.
If your physical appearance is terrible, you definitely will feel terrible and reek of low self-esteem. To avoid this, take proper care of your appearance. Treat your skin with great organic products that work. Dress well. You can buy good clothes without breaking your bank.
15. Don’t be Scared of Failures.
Failures show you that the methods you’ve tried do not work and that it is best to find a new method. Failure is not a death sentence. So don’t be scared of it and don’t let it stop you. Keep going until you get there.
16. Be a Student.
Even elderly people learn a thing or two on a daily basis. Approach your projects and long term goals with an open mindset; ready to learn. This is the only way you will quickly accomplish your goals.
18. Define Success.
Success means different things to different people. So what does success mean to you? What are those things you need to accomplish to call yourself successful? Work towards them. Achieve them. And watch your self-esteem soar.
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