Courage is an elusive character. On a good day, when you are feeling great, you don’t need to call on her but on a tough day she can be hard to find. Here are ten ways that I have found successful for tapping into my inner confidence and called on Little Miss Courage!
- Pick a good day to make your decisions – You know those days when you feel on top of the world and you can achieve anything? These are the best days to decide where you want to be or how you are going to do something. This is when your inner critic is at its quietest and your creative side is given full permission to explore all the possibilities.
- Put on your “big girl pants”. Imagine you are putting on an extra suit of armour to deal with those challenging areas of your business that you are avoiding. When you put on your “big girl pants” you are inviting that boost of confidence and stepping into your power. It really works!
- Tell a friend. Nothing like an accountability buddy to keep you focused and going in the right direction. Having someone to talk to you when you are not “feeling it” can alleviate the doubts you have.
- Write it down. When you write down your goal, be sure to write down the possible roadblocks you may encounter too. It is really helpful if you learn what are your mental blocks and the strategies you have learned to hold yourself back as it will help you get clarity around how you are going to keep that confidence this time!
- Affirmations are a brilliant way to remind you that you have the power within you to succeed. Have a few affirmations in your pocket that help settle you and remind you that you are awesome. One of my favourites is “I am enough, I know enough, I have enough”.
- Celebrate your wins. Remind yourself how far you have come by celebrating every single win, no matter how small. Every step you take is a win in business. These will be ingrained in your head and will give you an extra boost when you need it.
- Deadlines are a great motivator. When you know you have to get your challenging piece of work finished before a due date, it is interesting how you can step up and do it.
- When we are in the thick of those anxious feelings, those feelings when you butterflies have turned into dragons and you feel nauseous, I find that breathing into your belly helps. Find a quiet spot to practice your breathing, close your eyes or pick a spot to focus on, slow your breathing considerably, try taking that breath slowly for 10 seconds, in for 10, hold for 10. Out for 10. Do this for as long as you can. It will slow down your thinking, restore your breathing, ease the adrenaline in your body, and help you refocus.
- Strike a pose. When there is something that I need to do, and my courage leaves me at that particular moment, I find that striking a Wonder Woman pose helps me find that inner strong that is hiding away. Usually when I pose like this, I am able to challenge in inner critic “Why can’t I do it?”
- Make a list. Write down all the ways that help you tap into you own inner Little Miss Courage. We all have a few strategies that we use to boost our confidence, write them down now so that you can tap into them when you need them.
Not all of them will work all of the time but all of them will work at some time, so be sure to try a variety of them when you find your courage slipping. Remember, it is just the gremlin trying to take control, when you know this you are halfway there to inner peace xx
