Essential Tool: Belief In Yourself and Your Business

One of the most important tools to have in your toolbox is one that is the most difficult to obtain for some people. That’s the belief in yourself and your business.

If you have it already, great! Keep that positive attitude.

But if you don’t, or even if you do (most people’s belief weakens a bit at times), you can increase and strengthen it by trying some belief-boosting activities (see below) on a regular basis.

Prepare

When you have to work on something you haven’t done before, or something that you’re not quite comfortable with, don’t wait until the day you have to do it to work on it. Do your research—read about it, talk to people about it, and practice doing whatever it is and you’ll find your confidence and comfort levels improve.

Practice Affirmations

Say positive things to yourself about aspects of yourself or situations that make you uncertain. It might feel silly, but standing in front of a mirror is a good way to do this. (I always think of Stuart Smalley from Saturday Night Live back in the 1990s when I think of affirmations. One of his catchphrases that’s always stuck with me is “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”) Keep repeating your affirmations on a regular basis and watch your belief and confidence grow.

Meditate

Just a few minutes of meditation a day can help ease self-doubt and boost self-confidence. Meditation helps you become less engaged with your inner self-critic, and over time that inner self-critic will settle down (and maybe even disappear).

Get Moving

Whether you take a walk, do some stretches, or even strike a power pose, physical activity can raise your energy level, release endorphins, and help you feel more comfortable.

Stay Away from Social Media

Believe it or not, there’s research that shows that 60 percent of people have reported lower self-esteem caused by social media. It’s easy to see how that might happen—it seems like everyone else is happier and more successful when you base your opinions on what you see online.

Building a business is hard, and at times there will be setbacks. But if you use those setbacks as learning experiences and focus on the lessons learned, you’ll find yourself feeling more confident and less likely to view setbacks as failures.