How to Boost Your Confidence and Boost Your Productivity

What do confidence and productivity have in common?
Confidence, in essence, is what turns ideas into actions and tangible results. By definition, it is the feeling or belief of reliability or trust in something or someone. Self-confidence is a belief in ourselves.

Confidence in ourselves is positively correlated with our performance and productivity levels. When our confidence levels rise, we are less likely to quit and more likely to follow through and complete something we set out to do. As a result, in some cases we see far greater success than we originally imagined. 

Do you have something that you’ve been procrastinating on starting because of self-doubt? Maybe it’s hard, you haven’t done it before, or it’s a bit outside your comfort zone? This is a common reason for procrastination.

If the results are something that you really want (your “why”), then it’s worth the effort. Your “why” is your most positive motivator and can help you discover some tactics to boost your confidence, productivity and allow you to get that thing done. 
While we can be our best cheerleader (#yougotthis), we can also be our own biggest critic. We tend to judge ourselves more harshly than others, which depletes our self-confidence and leads us to staying stagnant in our comfort zone. The good news is that there are some things we can do to be more cheerleader and less critic …

How to boost confidence and productivity
In order to grow and see the breadth of your own potential, try some of these confidence boosting suggestions to end your procrastination and accomplish more than you originally thought possible!  

We’ve collected a few of Sports Psychologist Jarrod Spencer’s recommendations and added in a few of our own:

Write a confidence script
Doing something new and somewhat scary? Write and refer to a confidence script! Write down 10 facts you already know that indicate you could be successful with this new thing. For example: giving a new presentation to a new team or audience? This could be your confidence script:

• I’ve given presentations before and have received good feedback.
• I’ve practiced this presentation.
• Someone invited me to present.
• Audiences have found value in my presentations in the past.
• I have researched this topic well and have published content on it.
• I asked questions to understand the audience ahead of time and their challenges and needs so that I could make my content relevant.
• By this time tomorrow (assuming the presentation is tomorrow morning), I will be finished and celebrating!
• An hour goes by quickly. It’s already 5:00 today and the day flew by! I can present for 1 hour tomorrow.
• I’m interested, passionate and knowledgeable about this topic. I’ve found it easy to present on things I know this well in the past.
• I’ve presented to an audience twice this size successfully.

Practice positive self-talk
Switch negative self-talk to positive self-talk with affirmations (positive statements written in the present affirming success, results, achievement that you desire or are working towards). Begin with “I am…” statements, such as “I am committed to …” or “I am capable of …” or “I am easily and effortlessly … “. Acknowledge your own strengths.
Visualize success

• How will you feel once the task or project is completed? Close your eyes and imagine that feeling.
• Play the movie reel of the “finish” to this success story in your head before you do the task. 
• Create a vision board of success related to this task and review it periodically while engaging in the task or project.
• Remember in your mind a time that you’ve been successful at something similar or comparable in the past.
• Visualize yourself in action. Recall the proud feeling you had after you finished the last time you did something like this.

Ask for a pep talk

• Talk with someone you trust; someone who has your best interest at heart. Reassurance and a little cheerleading from someone on your side can go a long way.
• Borrow some words of encouragement from an outside party as your own positive affirmations.
• Write an inspirational letter to yourself – something you can read just before you do the thing to boost your confidence.

Shift your mindset

• What added benefits could come from completion of the task or project?
• How can this task or project benefit someone else?
• Focus on what you can control. Do research, ask questions, learn, and practice more if you aren’t feeling totally ready. 
• Try meditating to clear your mind of the negative, intrusive thoughts of self-doubt.
• Imagine how you will celebrate after the task or project is completed.

Done is better than perfect

• Remember that perfection is not necessary and the pursuit of it can sometimes get in the way of progress or completion.
• Don’t let the obsession of doing something perfectly hold you back from getting started. 
• Don’t compare yourself to others who seem “perfect” because they have more experience than you.
• Practice
• Progress

Celebrate your accomplishments, everyday

• At the end of each day, list out 3 successes or accomplishments no matter how big or small.
• Celebrate small successes with just as much joy and satisfaction as the big ones.
• Reflect on your accomplishments and take note of your feelings before, during, and after completion. Recall these feelings when you are stuck. 

Use these confidence boosting techniques daily to build your own self-confidence and minimize your self-doubt. Focus on your successes and with your heightened self-confidence you will continue to see the most productive and successful version of you!

If you’d like help adding confidence building habits that can help boost your productivity, schedule your free no-risk Discovery Call to see how we can partner with you in your success! We’d love to help you be your own cheerleader as well as join your cheer squad.

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Debbie Rosemont is a Certified Professional Organizer, Productivity Consultant and Trainer and Owner of Simply Placed. Simply Placed teaches organized systems and productive habits that allow busy professionals to maximize their time, focus on their priorities, reduce stress, improve their customer service and increase their bottom line. She is the author of Six-Word Lessons to Be More Productive.

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