building-self-confidence-2

2. Visualize Your Victory.

“I would close my eyes and I would start envisioning. And this is a very powerful tool. I can definitely say that I would never be standing in front of you all today if I never envisioned.”

Those are the words of Dominique Dawes, the first African-American gymnast to win an individual Olympic medal and a member of the 1996 gold medal winning Olympic U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team.

Dawes and a plethora of successful people from all walks of life will tell you that they had to see it before they could be it.

Your unconscious mind makes no distinction between imagination and reality. Think about that. If you imagine having confidence then you will actually experience being confident.

Whether it’s a career fair or a networking event, an interview or internship, a review board or a meeting with venture capitalists, or even a date, take some time to visualize your victory.

Find a quiet place and for a few moments imagine what you will see, hear, feel, taste, and smell during your victory. Envision yourself successfully achieving your desired outcome. The more detailed your visualization, the more powerful it will be.

By doing this daily you will also have more confidence in unexpected situations.

It’s easier to visualize your victory when you commit to proper prior preparation. (Try saying that three times in row as fast as you can!)

3. Thoroughly prepare and be authentic.

One of my mentors told me a story about a guy who talked his way into a high level position for which he was unprepared. On the first day of work the guy was sitting in his corner office feeling unconfident and trying to figure out how he was going to pull off this caper when he heard a knock at his door.

“Just a minute,” he hollered. While jumping behind his desk he told the person knocking to come in. He picked up the phone started and pretending that he was having a conversation with the CEO of the company.

“Yes sir, Mr. Johnson. I’ll take care of it”, he told the imaginary CEO on the phone while using his index finger to give a ‘wait a minute’ sign to the gentleman who had just walked into his office.

“I know the company’s future is riding on this, Mr. Johnson. You can count on me. Good bye.”

He hung up the phone and turned his attention to the gentleman in his office. “How can I help you?”

With a big grin on his face the gentleman responded, “I’m here to connect your phone service.”

Long before anyone else does, you know if you’ve properly prepared for the task at hand. It’s difficult to be confident when you’re not prepared and pretending to be something that you’re not. Thoroughly prepare and keep it real. Be authentic.

As you prepare, focus on what’s right, visualize your victory, and...

1 | 2 | 3