Are you confident?

As mentioned in our earlier post, soft skills is a vast ocean which we will attempt to conquer one step at a time. Before we move onto discussing soft skills in depth let us discuss about the one skill that everyone must possess. This skill plays a vital role in each of our lives and without it we may not be able to face the harsh competitive world.

Confused?

Take this test and find out for ourselves. Rate yourselves from 0 to 5. 0 being the lowest.

1. How confident are you to initiate a conversation with strangers?

2. How comfortable are you while having a conversation in English?

3. How confident are you while addressing an audience?

4. How confident are you in resolving a conflict?

5. How confident are you about airing out your views when they differ from others?

If your average score is in the range 0- 1.9: You are low on confidence. But don't worry, this post is perfect for you!

If your average score is in the range 2 - 3.9: You are a pretty confident individual. Here are a few tips and pointers that would help you along the way.

If your average score is greater than 4: You are a very confident individual. This blog will help you add a few finishing touches to your skill because nobody is perfect!

You might have just got a clue about topic for this post.

Yes, we are going to blog about Self Confidence or simply Confidence!

Many people debate about self-confidence being interchangeable with self-esteem. But, research suggests that self-esteem and self-confidence differ from each other. Self-esteem is the value you see yourself having in this world. Confidence, on the other hand, is related to action. It's a belief that you can succeed at something. Now confidence is domain specific. You can be confident about a particular domain and absolutely unconfident about another. If you are a confident individual you are most likely to have a high self-esteem. For example, if you are good at the work you do, you are most likely to have a high self-esteem. Hence, Psychologists suggest that there is a correlation between the two qualities. 

Low confidence could be a result of many factors such as fear of the unknown, criticism, previous failures, poor time management, lack of knowledge and also low self-esteem. In order to overcome a low self-confidence, one may have to build a positive attitude towards life. Accept failures as a stepping stones to success and be ready to face criticism, no matter how harsh, in order to improve oneself.

PREPARE YOURSELF!

Another important factor that contributes to a person's low confidence is not being prepared. Always try to prepare yourself before an event or occasion. Think about the possible situations that may arise and prepare yourself accordingly. For instance, when you are attending an interview, always go through the company's website and gather information such as founders of the company, their vision and the fields of work that the company is involved in, etc. This gives you an upper hand in the interview. You may also use this information during your interview process which might just impress the interviewer.

TAKE CRITICISM POSITIVELY!

Criticism is also another factor to one's low confidence. People live in the fear of being criticised about their work or are fearful about making mistakes. Let's face it. Mistakes are inevitable! Especially if you are trying out something new. Confidence improves in knowing what to do when mistakes come to light. This again includes proper preparation and planning.

DRESS THE PART! (ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANT TO BE BATMAN)

Another important pointer to build your confidence is to dress the part. When you look better, you feel better. If you choose clothing and accessories that fit you well, suit your industry and lifestyle and make you feel good, it will automatically increase your self-esteem. Look like the part you want to play or in other words, suit up for success. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine in your accessories. Bold jewellery or a colourful tie can be a focal point and a good conversation starter.

BE CONFIDENT BUT NEVER OVER CONFIDENT!

Self Confidence is a matter of balance. At one extreme, we have people who are over confident and on the other hand we have people who are under confident. Getting this right is a matter of having the right amount of confidence, founded in reality and on your true ability. With the right amount of confidence, you will take informed risks and be better prepared to face the world.

HINT: There has always been a raging debate whether practicing in front of the mirror or in front of an audience is better. Few argue that you are never an excellent judge of character of yourself but hunting down someone to listen to you can also be quite a task! So we suggest that you practice your speech in front of a mirror once and if you can find someone, ask them to hear you out too!