A lack of self-confidence can have a strong negative impact on your life. It can keep you from doing the things you would really love to do. It can also keep you from going after many of your dreams and aspirations. Self-confidence is key when it comes to taking control of your life and feeling that you can achieve almost anything that you put your mind to.

Unfortunately, for some people, gaining more confidence can seem easier said than done. It doesn’t have to be that way! The good news is, boosting your self-confidence doesn’t have to be a total life changing undertaking or a massive project. In fact, there are some small things that you can do each day to help give yourself a wonderful boost of confidence. By implementing some of the tips in this article, you can start to gain more self-confidence, feel better about yourself, and go after the things you have always wanted to.

1. Dress for Success

This might sound like a very ‘cliché’ line, but there is some truth in looking your best and feeling your best. When you take care of your appearance, you tend to feel better about yourself no matter what. Buy clothes that fit well and make you feel happy with your appearance when you look in the mirror. But, you don’t have to stop with what you wear! Proper grooming can also help to give your confidence a boost, too. A fresh haircut or some spa-like pampering can make a big difference not only in how you carry yourself, but how you feel on the inside.

2. Think Positive

If you want to have more self-confidence, you have to destroy the negative thoughts that creep into your mind on a regular basis and replace them with positive ones. This can be hard to do at first, since it is so easy for us to focus on the things that are hard, or the things that might be holding us back. It is even easier to focus on things we don’t like about ourselves rather than the things we love.

Negative self-talk can have a bigger impact on you than you may realize, and you might not even know how often you are doing it! That’s why it is so important to be more conscious of your thoughts. When you are able to do that, you can replace the negative thoughts with positive ones that will continue to push you forward.

3. Learn More About Yourself

One of the best ways to boost your self-confidence and generally feel better about yourself is to get to know yourself better. This might sound silly at first. But, have you ever really thought about why you struggle with self-confidence in the first place? You could be your own worst enemy without even taking the time to realize it.

One great way to approach this is to start journaling every day. Write down how you feel about yourself each day, and then try to analyze why you feel this way. After a while you will become more aware of your feelings and how certain things in your life trigger either positive or negative thoughts. The more you actually get to know about yourself, the easier it can be to follow the previous step and think more positive thoughts!

4. Be Kind To Others

This tip may sound simple, but it is not always easy. Most of us like to think of ourselves as kind and generous people. But, if we are being honest, we all know we could do better. Think about how you feel when you are truly kind and generous with someone. For example, when was the last time you made a donation to a charitable cause? Even if it was only a small amount, there is a good chance it made you feel a bit better.

Or, how do you feel when you simply hold the door open for someone, or smile at someone walking down the street? An act of kindness costs nothing and can help you feel great for the rest of the day. Not only can you boost your self-confidence each day with simple acts of kindness, but you can make someone else’s day, too!

5. Set Small Goals

While it is great to have big exciting goals for ourselves. Unfortunately, if we don’t reach those goals, it is easy to feel like we have not succeeded and start doubting ourselves. The problem sometimes with these big goals is that they only focus on the bigger picture and the long term. Instead, try to focus on making small, more achievable goals. You don’t have to sell yourself short, but by focusing on smaller goals that will eventually get you towards your bigger goals, you can create more achievements and wins for yourself. As a result, each small goal you achieve will boost your self confidence more, making it that much easier to move towards the bigger dream and goals you had in the first place.

Going ‘slow and steady’ with your dreams will take some patience and discipline. But, it is better for your overall mindset, and can really help you to become more confident every step of the way.

6. Be More Active

Don’t let yourself be idle for too long. When we sit around and do nothing for long periods of time, we begin to feel the effects both physically and mentally. Doing something, no matter how small it may be, can make you feel more accomplished and proud of yourself. Get off the couch and go for a walk or take a run to get some exercise and get the muscles working and the heart pumping. You can also do some chores around the house to keep you active or take some work home with you to get ahead of yourself.

Staying active physically and mentally will keep you from falling into negative self-talk traps and will make it easier for your self-confidence to remain on a higher level.

As you can see, it doesn’t have to be too difficult to give your self-confidence a boost each day. It is all about changing your mindset and making more conscious choices about how you think and what you do. By using some of these tips above, you will boost your self-confidence and you will start to feel better about yourself and how the rest of the world sees you.