‘Where are you in your life now?’ is a question of the past. Nowadays, you are judged by your ambition to get ahead in life. ‘Where do you see yourself five years down the line?’ is the question any interviewer will entertain you with. And it is where the world is heading. Gone are the days when the background you belong to mattered, today your dreams and aspirations make you stand out.

Achieving dreams was never easy for the most successful of people, but one thing that kept them going was self-confidence. Yes, if you are confident enough on yourself and your dreams, no external forces can make you lose. Then again, not everyone is gifted with trust upon one’s steps or a few instances of failure might instil a fear in you. So, here are some sure-fire ways which will help improve your self-confidence!

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1. Don’t Let Others Tell You What to Do

It is indeed crucial to take control of your life if you want to achieve great success. Of course, you cannot do without guidance of elders, yet, do not let that guidance overpower your decisions. Whatever you have achieved in your life is because you are a rational person and the ‘rational you’ can very well asses the practicality of the situation and decide what is best. Therefore, do not let what others say or do, influence what you want to become in life.

Hence, by developing the ability to deciding for yourself and not letting anyone else influence you is the key to improved self-confidence.

2. Excel At What You Do

Whatever you do, do it like a pro. Tell the world that no one in this world can do your job, better than you. Yes, it is crucial to excel in a field as it adds to your confidence. If you are good at your job, people will respect you and you yourself will feel more secure at your job. People will look forward to your opinions and value them, making you more confident already!

3. Look at Failure in The Eye

Failures are a part and parcel of life. Everyone fails at one aspect of life or another. Hence, it is OKAY to fail.  Then again, you have to bounce back after one failed attempt and stare your shortcomings in the face and work hard to overcome them in order to emerge victorious the next time.

You never lose the war until you accept your defeat, therefore never lose hope and persevere until you become the best. Keep all the negative thoughts at bay because it will take the world a million screams to care about where you are lacking, don’t let anyone or anything make you feel bad about yourself. Go out there and think as positive as you can till you reach the zenith of positivity and confidence.

4. Learn to Command Yourself

Discipline and correct body language will take you places. Can you imagine a confident person with a slouched posture, gloomy face, and a dull personality? I wonder if you can because a confident figure that crosses my mind is of a smartly dressed person with a smiling face and bright personality, someone whose very appearance makes it clear that he means business.

Likewise, you should also learn to command yourself, no matter how you are feeling from within. Even if you are as nervous as scared as a goat in the slaughterhouse, don’t let that show on your face. Hold a straight posture, dress the part, and don’t let that smile fade away. Make an eye-contact with the person you are talking to and show them that you are in for getting heard and are not leaving without that.

5. Find A Reason to Smile Through Tough Times

Sometimes, life can be tough. The chain of failures in professional as well as personal life leave you depressed and out of wits to deal with so many issues at one go. In these situations, the first thing you need is a little boost in self-confidence. Therefore, sit up right way and list out the things that make you feel happy about yourself, they may be your accomplishments, your family, or anything good you did on the way to work. These things will give you a reason to smile and compel you to put in some more efforts to bring colors back to your life.

In the nutshell, the one sure-fire way to improve self-confidence, is to work on your personality and thinking to make this world a happier place for yourself.