1. Look and act the part.
Start the day by taking time to get ready. If you really want to act like someone who exudes self-confidence, remember your body language. Don’t let your shoulders and head droop forward. When you picture a confident person, do you see someone who stands upright with a smile on his or her face? Mirror the confident person you imagined.
2. Let go of negativity.
Surround yourself with positive influences and avoid negative thoughts, behaviors, and conversations.
When pessimistic voices fill your mind, replace them. Instead of thinking, “I’m not good enough,” think, “I can do anything with God’s help.” Approaching life with positivity will produce positive results.
3. Keep a daily success and gratitude journal.
At the end of each day, make a list of things you accomplished and things you were grateful for. Whenever you’re feeling down, reread some of your happiest entries.
Pondering your daily successes will give you a sense of self-worth and motivate you to do more. Recognizing God’s blessings will increase your gratitude for life and fill your heart with His love.
4. Step out of your comfort zone.
A boost of confidence always comes after conquering something you’ve never done or thought you could do. Pushing yourself a little each day will lengthen your list of personal successes, which will nurture self-confidence.
5. Love rather than compare.
When it comes to how you think of yourself and others, don’t make comparisons. Everyone is different. Embrace your unique qualities and potential. Happiness comes from appreciating who you are and who you can become, just like God does.
Instead of comparing yourself to others, have charity toward them. The Lord teaches, “Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.”
6. Have faith in God and humble yourself before Him.
The Lord also taught, “If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”
Humility and faith in God provide the power you need to push on and overcome times of self-doubt.
7. Believe in yourself.
God believes in you. You should too, according to Gordon B. Hinckley:
“Believe in yourself. Believe in your capacity to do great and good things. Believe that no mountain is so high that you cannot climb it. Believe that no storm is so great that you cannot weather it. … You are a child of God, of infinite capacity. Stand a little taller, rise a little higher, be a little better. Make the extra effort. You will be happier. You will know a new satisfaction, a new gladness in your heart,” he said.
For even more inspiration and ways to build self-confidence, listen to our episode of Music with a Message, Combatting Self-Doubt.