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Wondering how to be more confident?
Confidence is a practice — a habit that can be learned. Of course, it comes more naturally to some women than others, but don’t lose hope! When it comes to confidence, you can just do as we do in showbiz: Fake it ’til you make it!
This post is all about how to gain confidence. Specifically, this post is about the eight habits of women who are always confident. Check it out!
1. Confident women start each day with gratitude.
Counting your blessings is the best way to start your day, and the perfect reminder of all you have going for you. Even on days when it seems like your world is crumbling down, there is something to be grateful for.
Start by listing just three things you are thankful for each morning. They can be big things or small. You’ll be surprised how much you truly have, even if you don’t work a dream job or live in a fancy home. When you get to feeling down, just circle back to your list — and it may be something as simple as “hot coffee” or “running water” or “that I can use my legs.”
Positivity and confidence go hand-in-hand.
RELATED READ: 7 Morning Routine Hacks Productive People Always Do 
2. Confident women protect their “YES!” by saying “NO.”
If you are a “yes man,” listen up!
Saying “sure” to every birthday brunch, coffee date, volunteer position and work committee leaves you with a very full agenda and very little time or brain space for the things you ACTUALLY want to do or accomplish. This is how you can avoid constantly feeling overbooked, overwhelmed, and under-confident in your pursuits.
As the saying goes, “If it’s not a ‘HELL YES!’ it’s a no.”
3. Confident women don’t settle for the standard.
Confident women don’t always just accept things as they are. Going with the flow sometimes is the best choice, but other times … not so much. Sometimes, we need to pivot.
Settling for the standard can apply to just about any category of living. The biggest piece to the “pushing back against the norm” puzzle is simply asking WHY.
Why do you feel like you have to be in a 9-5 desk job?
Why is it acceptable to go into so much debt for a degree you don’t really want?
Why should you have to have regular fries when you want sweet potato fries?
Questioning the way society collectively does something keeps you critical (in a good way!) of the media you consume, the habits you form and the way you spend your time.
Rise above the norm and create your OWN standard — and don’t settle for anything else.
4. Confident women don’t constantly apologize or make excuses.
Constantly apologizing not only starts to sound inauthentic and annoying, but it can take a toll on your confidence. Now, this doesn’t mean you live your life in a cavalier way with total disregard for everyone you interact with. It just means swapping out some verbiage. For example:
Instead of: “Sorry for the delay! I’ve been waiting on the exterminator all day …”
Try: “Thanks for your patience. Here are my thoughts on the report … ”
Instead of: “So sorry for the mistake. I can’t believe I missed that. Robert proofed this too and must have missed it …”
Try: “Great catch! I will tweak that now.”
5. Confident women don’t ask for permission to succeed.
Who are you waiting to grant you permission to apply to that new job? Or to shake that hand? Or to book that networking gig you think will pay off? Or that semester abroad that you can actually afford yourself?
The non-apology ideals listed above apply to more than just conversations; it means go for what you want without apologizing along the way! Confident women take initiative.
6. Confident women dress for success.
Confident women don’t place all of their value and worth on looks — not by a long shot — but they do understand how being “put together” can impact the way they feel and the way others perceive them.
Dressing for success does NOT mean exclusively wearing designer labels or uncomfortable, stiff fabrics.
Dressing for confidence means wearing pieces that:
- Fit well
- Flatter your specific body type
- Make you feel like a million bucks
- Don’t have visible stains or tears
- Are appropriate to the occasion
There’s no point wearing super high heels if you can’t walk in them. And there’s no point purchasing a power suit if you feel super self conscious in the color. It’s all about finding the right fit for YOU — this is not one size fits all.
RELATED READ: 7 Ways to Make Your Wardrobe Look More Expensive (Without Spending a Bunch of Money)
7. Confident women are self aware.
Being self aware is a powerful weapon. Once you truly grasp your strengths, weaknesses and limitations, you can make them work for you. You can put yourselves in situations where you will shine, versus shrink.
For example, maybe you know that you are most productive in the early hours of the day, before the onslaught of emails hit. You can schedule your day and structure your deep work around that. Or, perhaps you know that you grow wildly impatient when you are hungry — maybe you don’t schedule meetings that back up to a meal time. Little adjustments that are made with intention can make all the difference in the world.
RELATED READ: 6 Effortless Up-Dos That’ll Make You Look Pulled Together
8. Confident women surround themselves with positivity.
… and eliminate the negative.
This means having a circle of friends/family/colleagues that lift you up — and in return, you lift them up. It goes both ways. The tribe you choose to have around you can make or break your confidence. Choose wisely.
And if there are people, activities, work environments, or other situations that figuratively drain your batteries, you should murmur a thanks for what you’ve learned from it and then let it the heck go.
Try jotting down all you’re thankful for in a cute journal. Happy feelings will snowball, and so the more you can list that you’re grateful for, the more easily you’ll find gratitude!
There you have it: 8 habits confident women always practice. What other tidbits do you think help women gain and maintain confidence?
Drop your ideas in the comments section!
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