In business, confidence is key. I would say that it is foundational. All other factors, such as motivation, training, drive and leadership, depend upon a core of inner confidence.
Whether you work for someone else or run your own business, tapping into your inner confidence is vital in order to succeed. A few people do this with the greatest of ease, but for most of us it is a daily challenge that takes hard work and determination.
Here are four “tools” that will help you to find and tap into your inner confidence in order to propel your business forward:
First: Refuse to give consent.
I pull this idea from a saying of Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
Refusing to give consent to feeling inferior is the jumping off point for the daily challenge of using confidence in business. Here is what I mean:
Your first step into tapping your inner confidence is to refuse to see yourself as less, no matter what anyone else might say. This refusal forces you to take a stand and begin to think differently about yourself.
Dr. Wayne Dyer says reminds us here that: “Self-worth comes from one thing – thinking you are worthy.”
When you take this first step, it awakens your inner confidence. It stirs it up and gets the ball rolling. It becomes active in the process of your success.
Quite simply – it empowers you.
In business, being empowered leads to the desire to grow, the ability to step outside your comfort zone and the determination to act. I have discovered through coaching others that empowered, powerful people do powerful things.
Tapping into your inner confidence requires you to step up refuse to see yourself as inferior, less or wanting.
Second: Be willing to change.
Unwillingness towards change holds you and your business captive. It takes the wheels right out from under you and stifles vision and action. It halts growth.
I believe that fear of change is a problem of confidence. Most business people who struggle with change are, at the root, struggling with confidence. For some, it is easier to stay stuck and inactive.
They do not realize that being willing to change frees up your inner confidence. The willingness becomes the catalyst to move past the fear. It frees you up and drives you forward.
What kind of change must you be willing to consider? You must be willing to change your thinking.
Having the same thought patterns over and over again is not beneficial to your success. The problem is that the same old thoughts lead to the same old behaviors and, in the end, the same old results.
Albert Einstein said it this way: “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
In order to propel your business forward, tap into your inner confidence by being willing to change your thinking.
Third: Envision the end result.
This tool is about making choices.
In his book, “Hostage at the Table: How Leaders Can Overcome Conflict, Influence Others,” George Kohlrieser talked about these choices when describing successful athletes:
“The power of imagination is incredible. Often we see athletes achieving unbelievable results and wonder how they did it. One of the tools they use is visualization or mental imagery….they made the choice to create their destinies and visualized their achievements before they ultimately succeeded.”
Story after story has been told about athletes, race car drivers and men and women in business who have taken the challenge of looking into their mind’s eye and envisioning the end result they desire. They “made a choice to create their destinies.”
In my opinion, visualization is the tool that sets your inner confidence in stone. Tapping into this well is a sign for all to see that you have the confidence needed to achieve your desired result, whatever it might be.
Fourth: Practice positive self –talk.
Over the years, I have encountered two very distinct groups of people when it comes to self-talk. The first is the over-the-top, fake, often arrogant folks who can’t stop talking about themselves – always with a positive “I’ve done that and better than you” attitude.
The second is the self-humiliating, always down on their luck, also fake folks who can’t find one good thing about themselves.
Both groups are uncomfortable to be around. Neither group will work well in business.
The ability to speak to yourself in kind and affirming ways builds up the well of inner confidence and keeps it alive and well. This ability is necessary to energize yourself as you encounter the ups and downs of life and business.
Positive self-talk is the maintenance tool. It keeps everything running smoothly.
There you have it – four distinct and powerful tools. Refusing to give consent, together with a willingness to change, the ability to envision the end result and positive self-talk, will allow you to tap into your inner self confidence and propel your business forward.
I wish you all the best on your journey.
DeLores Pressley, motivational speaker and personal power expert, is one of the most respected and sought-after experts on success, motivation, confidence and personal power. She is an international keynote speaker, author, life coach and the founder of the Born Successful Institute and DeLores Pressley Worldwide. She helps individuals utilize personal power, increase confidence and live a life of significance. Her story has been touted in The Washington Post, Black Enterprise, First for Women, Essence, New York Daily News, Ebony and Marie Claire. She is a frequent media guest and has been interviewed on every major network – ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX – including America’s top rated shows OPRAH and Entertainment Tonight.
She is the author of “Oh Yes You Can,” “Clean Out the Closet of Your Life” and “Believe in the Power of You.” To book her as a speaker or coach, contact her office at 330.649.9809 or via email [email protected] or visit her website at www.delorespressley.com.
