If you feel like you are not confident enough, don’t worry. You are at the right place. Fortunately, self-confidence is something we can learn and develop. The more positive things you do, the more confident you will be. At Midway Gentleman, we regularly write about topics that help you improve your lifestyle. In a previous article, we wrote about 10 Things You Need To Know About Etiquette.
Start Doing Sports
First, sport is one of those things that can transform your body and mind at the same time. Exercise is great because you only focus on that particular sport for that one or two hours and nothing else.
Second, if you stay consistent and work hard, you will achieve the goals you set for yourself. It could be weight loss, muscle gain, or being better in that sport – no matter what your goal is, all that matters is hard work will make you achieve it. When people see that you are accomplishing your goals, they will immediately think you are a confident, hardworking person.
Have Hobbies
A hobby not only makes you happy but can boost your confidence as well. Let me tell you how. If you do something with passion, it will make you feel better, and if you feel better, you will get more confident. It’s a natural reaction in your brain. Your hobby can be photography, drawing, playing an instrument, or copywriting. It doesn’t matter what it is. The key is to do it with passion. Another benefit of having a hobby is it will give you great stories that you can tell with enthusiasm. People love great stories.
There is another famous quote that changed my mind when I first read it. “Find three hobbies you love: One to make you money, one to keep you in shape and one to make you creative.” Since I founded Midway Gentleman, it changed my life by 180 degrees. I found my passion in making creative content for our readers. The other two hobbies are sports and creativity, we talked about sports before, but we haven’t mentioned creativity yet.
Many people think they are not creative, but that is a wrong perception. In reality, everyone should be doing at least one creative thing. It could be copywriting, playing an instrument, or drawing. Those are the most common ones, but creative work nowadays can be anything from photography to cooking.
Practice Makes Perfect
It sounds cliche, but cliches are based on truth most of the time. The more you practice things you are not good at, the better you will be at it. If you have a problem with public speaking, the more you force yourself to do so, the better you will be. Many people are afraid of public speaking because they are not used to standing on the stage in front of an audience.
The same applies to confidence. If you are feeling shy about anything, force yourself to do that specific thing. This is the only way to get over your insecurities and start being confident. Start small and stay consistent. When you look back after 2-3 months, you will laugh about all your self-doubts.
Make New Experiences
Don’t live to impress anyone but you. Have a life you enjoy and do exciting things. It could be a home renovation project, a well-deserved vacation, or a side business that you always wanted to start. If you share any of the moments from your life, you will realize it is not for social media. It is for yourself. But people will enjoy watching it as much as you enjoy doing it.
Do the things that scare you the most. Those things will create the best stories that you will happily tell your kids one day. Also, if you want to feel better with new experiences, start volunteering. It can be anything from helping older people crossing the road to giving a dollar to somebody in need. Sometimes it is the smallest gesture that makes the greatest impact in life.
Don’t Worry About a Bad Day
It’s important to know that life is a roller coaster, not a straight line. Everyone will experience a bad day where they feel powerless. Even the most confident people on Earth have these days. If you feel unmotivated, do things that make you happy, or write down your plans for the next day, week, or month and have a good sleep at the end of the day. The next day when you are motivated, start accomplishing these goals that you have written down.
Help Others
As I mentioned before, helping others will improve your confidence significantly. It can be as simple as asking your mother if you can help her or a more complex gesture like donating blood. The fact is, the more you help, the better you will feel about yourself. We have said it before, and we will keep on saying it: The happier you feel about yourself, the more confidence you will have.
My Personal Story About Helping Others
Let me tell you a personal story. In 2020, I finally decided to donate my blood to people in need. The local blood donation service came to our high school every year, but I was always afraid of those big needles and blood bags, so I never applied.
I’ve always loved helping others, so I told myself I had to overcome my fears. My father mentioned that there will be an occasion in the city we live in, and I said yes to it. When I stood in line, I was a little nervous, but as soon as I sat down in the chair, I had no problem. The nurses and doctors were very kind and helpful to us. Everything went perfectly, and we finished quickly. The whole process with the waiting and paper filling took us 15 to 20 minutes.
The best thing happened a week later, when I got a message that my blood had been taken to the hospital for use. It was one of the best feelings I’ve ever felt, and I knew that I got to do this again. Maybe I saved someone’s life with that 15 or 20 minutes of my life, and it made me feel so good. Ever since then, I regularly donate my blood without expecting anything for it. The pure joy I receive every time I get the message is something addictive – in the best way possible.
Buy New Clothes
It might sound like an odd thing to do, but let me explain. Clothes can make or break our confidence. If we wear clothes that we like and look good in, we instantly feel more powerful and confident. On the other hand, if you are wearing dirty or damaged attire, you will probably feel bad. Clothes don’t have to be expensive to make you feel good. They simply have to fit.
Find your style and buy some new clothes, they can be even second-hand. To test your style and what looks good on you, take some pictures of your outfit. There were many times I bought the wrong items just because the lights were so good at that store, or I rushed and made a mistake. Write a list of what you need before going to the store. For example, dark jeans, white T-shirts, and look for the specific items in the store. This way, you can shop faster and more efficiently.
Visit Your Barber
It’s another simple yet important thing to do if you want to improve your confidence. A proper hairstyle is a crucial part of your look. If you want to try something new, try a new barber. Luckily, it’s a pretty saturated market, so you can easily find a new one. If you have had the same cut for a long time, ask your hairdresser for a fresh style. Experimenting with different lengths and styles can make a huge difference in your look.
Don’t Worry What Others Think
Finally, I left it to the last point because that’s the most important thing to know about confidence. Confident people don’t think about what others think of them. They think differently. When they enter a room, they don’t think about whether the people in the room like them or not. They think about whether THEY like the people in the room or not.
Never waste your time worrying about what others think of you. There will always be people who don’t like you. If you want to make everyone happy – sell ice cream. Once you have developed this mindset, you will have no problem with confidence. At last, if you take any advice from this article, it should be this one.
Keep on reading: A Gentleman’s Guide for the Best Morning Routine