#403 Special series: Would you like to have more confidence? (part 4)

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Have you ever thought I'd like to have more confidence? If yes, then this episode is for you. And it is for me too, because I've thought the exact same thing many times when it comes to personal development mastery Podcast, episode 403. And this is the last episode in a special four week series on confidence. And in this last part, my intention is to offer a comprehensive and motivational conclusion. And so today, first, I'm going to summarise the key points that we discussed over the previous three weeks. Second, I will offer some more practical tips or additional strategies for building confidence. And third, I will call you to action because that's how you increase your confidence. So once again, welcome to the concluding episode of our special series on confidence. And today, we'll tie it all together and look ahead on how you can continue growing your confidence. 

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And let's begin by briefly summarising the main takeaways from the previous three episodes. In Episode One, we discussed the theoretical foundation of confidence, we talked about the four C's of confidence, which is how we become confident, starting with commitment and then have the courage to take action out of the comfort zone. And that leads to the capability which in turn translates into confidence because we have done it. 

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In episode two of the series, we discussed three practical techniques to increase your confidence. And I will go quickly through each of them again, I hope you have started practising one of them at least but if you haven't, this is a great reminder that change only happens when you do not when you learn. 

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So, the first practical exercise to increase your confidence is stepping out of the comfort zone. Go out of your way to get out of your comfort zone. Do one thing every day that scares you step out of the comfort zone get into the habit of rising to meet challenges rather than shying away from them. 

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The second practical technique we discussed was visualisation visualising the desired outcome. So, let's say I will give a simple example. Let's say that you have a job interview. Before you go to the interview you visualise yourself, you have the conversation mentally in your mind. And this builds your confidence because it empowers you with a vision of yourself being assertive being relaxed in this case, visualising it helps you see results in advance. 

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And the third practical technique to increase your confidence that we talked about was using our body to our advantage. And there is research that suggests that if you strike strong poles like take up more space with your body, then your testosterone levels increase whilst your cortisol the stress hormone levels decrease. So if you adopt a bigger posture, to minutes before a speech or a meeting, that will actually give you more confidence and help you perform better. 

4:04  
And concluding the summarising takeaways from the previous three episodes. On the third part last week, we heard insights from four of my guests and their approach their unique perspective on understanding and building confidence. So, this was a recap of the key points that we discussed in the previous three episodes and I hope you find it useful because as you know, repetition is the mother of skill. 

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What is the most important here to emphasise again is that confidence is a journey and also that confidence can be developed. The other core message that I would like to reinforce is the import tonnes of consistent practice and self reflection in building confidence. And talking about self reflection, I would encourage you to reflect on your own confidence journey, and how you have grown or what you have learned in your own confidence journey. And even better than reflect on it, I would invite you to journal, write it down or discuss these reflections with a friend or a mentor. So that's one thing that I will invite you to do. 

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In addition to that, I will also offer you a couple of quick, effective additional strategies for building confidence. And the first one is very simple. And it is to be aware of your shoulders. Drop your shoulders, become aware right now, become aware of your shoulders and drop them, you will automatically feel less tense and more relaxed, and that creates confidence. So get into the habit of dropping your shoulders regularly throughout the day. 

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Another technique, very important one is mindfulness. And that is a full topic on its own. But just one practical way that we can use it is one of the things that mindfulness teaches us that thoughts are not facts, they are assumptions, they are opinions. So when we are faced with the thought, I'm afraid this is too difficult, I'm out of my depth. I can't do this. Realise that these are opinions and change it counter it with. I'm not afraid, I can face this, I can manage this. In other words, change your internal dialogue when you realise that you are becoming stressed. And if you drop your shoulders just a moment before that, it will make it even easier to access that state. 

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And I will conclude this part of the final episode of the series by reminding once more it's so important that I need to say it a few more times that confidence is not a destination, it is a continuous journey. So keep setting new goals. Stay curious, committed to the actions that will take you out of your comfort zone. And then take the courage to take these actions and watch your capabilities grow and your confidence grow. Remember that every small step counts. And as Gator the German philosopher said, as soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live. And self trust is in many ways this confidence so be confident. Remember, confidence is not about being fearless. It is about taking action despite the fear. So keep pushing your boundaries. Keep believing in your potential and live the life you have imagined as Thoreau said. 

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Thank you for joining me in this series. Stay tuned for more series like that in the future where we will continue to explore personal development mastery and other specific topics. If you found this valuable, can you please share it with one person that you think will benefit from it? Until next time, stand out don't fit in!