Inspired Mums Guest Post – 4 ways to boost your inner confidence

Starting this month we will be featuring guest posts. Our first is by career and confidence coach Fiona Clark, founder of Inspired Mums, who is passionate about helping mums find fulfilling and flexible work, shares her expert advice on how to boost your inner confidence.

I don’t know about you but when my confidence levels are low, all the compliments and praise in the world can feel like water off a duck’s back. That’s because true confidence comes from within – you need to believe in yourself before you can begin to convince others.

Just as Sally helps her Queen Bee Styling clients look good on the outside so they feel better on the inside, as a qualified career and confidence coach, I work with mums to develop their self belief so they have the confidence to go out and and secure their dream job.

So here are my tried and tested top tips to help you boost your confidence:

1. Be proactive.
First things first, you need to identify the particular area you want to develop confidence in. Next, try to brainstorm some actions so you can take real steps towards achieving your goal. For example, if you want to have the confidence to deliver presentations to large groups, then ask yourself what you could do to feel more practiced in this area. A solution could be to deliver a regular presenting slot at your team meeting. By taking control in this way, you will adopt a more positive mindset that will help raise your confidence levels.

2. Step outside your comfort zone.
One of the most important pieces of advice I give my clients is to remember to step outside of their comfort zone. This is easier said than done. It can be very tempting to stay in the place where we feel safe, but it’s only by moving into our stretch zone that we can truly develop as a person. So take the opportunity to try something new – whether it’s saying ‘yes’ to learning a new language, starting a new sport or taking on greater responsibility at work. You will soon realise how good this feels and reap the rewards of a leap in confidence.

3. Get going!
The most powerful way to start developing confidence in yourself is to get some momentum back in your life. Don’t be tempted to procrastinate – even the most high achieving women can find themselves putting off actions that are challenging in some way. So, whether you’re starting a business, or relaunching your career, work out some simple next steps you can take each week to continue to make real progress. And by the way – try to be realistic. If you are working full-time, juggling work and home life, it’s far better to have a couple of weekly actions that you can achieve, instead of a list of 10 that you can never complete.

4. Tame your inner gremlin.
We all have one – that voice in our head, often our harshest critic, that tells us why we can’t do something. One of the key ways to boost your inner confidence is to silence this inner gremlin by flipping any negative thoughts into positive ones. For example, if you have seen your dream job but hear the voice in your head saying “there’s no use applying as they’ll have hundreds of applicants”, say instead, “I have many skills are relevant to this job.” You will be surprised by how much further you can go with your inner voice on your side.
If you need helping developing your inner confidence, please contact me on 07789 597209 or at fiona@inspiredmums.co.uk or visit www.inspiredmums.co.uk.

I offer every potential new client a FREE, no obligation, 30 minute phone consultation to discuss your goals and how coaching can help you.

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