As children we were pure, full of confidence, self-esteem and self-love. Gradually we went through things that made us doubt ourselves. We got hurt, we made mistakes and we started to think ourselves worthless, stupid and ugly. Our confidence diminished and we became insecure. For some people, their insecurity is a certainty, others find that they are in a slump for a while. No matter how small or big our self-confidence is at the moment, everyone knows what it is like to be less self-confident at some point. Good news:you can boost your confidence by celebrating your successes. Here are a few tips that you can use every day.
How proud are we of our children when they take their first steps? We celebrate with hugs and applause, because standing on our own two feet is an important milestone. Celebrating this success takes 5 minutes, after which we soon shout:'watch out, watch out, careful!' We do this with the very best intention, namely to ensure that our child remains safe. But what we're really saying is:'I don't trust you can save yourself.' And then it happens… 'if mom doesn't trust me, how can I trust myself?' your self confidence is not good.
We continue to celebrate our children's successes as they get older, succinctly. Learn to swim, learn to ride a bike, get a driver's license, get a diploma, new job. But with every new success, we quickly forget all other actions and successes, let alone recognize our own successes. Because why do we celebrate the successes of our children and not our own? What example do we give them with this?
A valuable and powerful tool in building self-confidence (for both yourself and your children) in addition to celebrating it is writing and sharing successes. Just as we celebrate our children's first steps as a success, we should also celebrate our own steps and successes. Even if you are an adult 😉 .
Tip:Write your successes in a notebook every day and share them with others, such as your family, friends or colleagues. It might feel a bit aqkward at first, but you'll see it works. Also ask about the successes of the other. You will notice that this is fun to do and creates energy.
You may think so, but I don't have that many successes at all. With that thought you will of course not increase your self-confidence, and you are also mistaken. You are also more successful than you think. It's all about how you define success. When writing your successes, use the following 5 sources:
Everything you planned to achieve and what you have finally achieved is a success. From getting all the groceries on your shopping list to the promotion at work for which you have worked hard for years. Now I understand that celebrating your successes can differ in priority, but keep the small successes in mind too!
Even if you are hesitant at first or even put off making that one phone call, once you've done it, it's a success. You did a great job while looking forward to it. And even if you make that phone call when you planned it, it's a success. For example, give yourself some me-time with a nice cup of coffee to celebrate these kinds of successes.
All the new things you learn are successes. For example:you already know how to use Excel but have now learned some very useful new functions.
New insights can be very personal or very general. But you can experience all new insight as a success (also the insight that your self-confidence grows when you celebrate and write down successes).
It is not the mistake that is a success, but the recognition of it. Because through the recognition you can correct. When you really start to see recognized mistakes as successes, making mistakes becomes fun too!
To support this mental boost, it is important to get moving and stay active. A fit body has a positive influence on the mind † From walking around the block to extreme sports and everything in between.
By a fit body I mean a body that moves, not necessarily the body of that one well-trained lady on Instagram. It can be wonderful to walk outside and enjoy nature, the sun, the rain, the wind. I do this daily with the dog! It can also be wonderful to be all sweaty in the gym on a spinning bike. Or kickboxing. Or learn salsa dancing with a group of strangers. The possibilities are endless and the benefits endless. Also think about how many successes you can achieve in this. Seems like a win-win situation to me!
Training the interaction between the body and the mind exercising generates a powerful self-confidence and a lot of positive energy. It shifts our focus from everything negative to everything positive. We can be proud of ourselves and set a powerful example for our children.
