Are you surrounded by people who seem way more confident than you? Well, let me share a secret: many people APPEAR confident, but that doesn’t mean they’re naturally self-assured. It’s certainly not true that some people are ‘born confident’ or that confidence is part of your personality. Just like imposter syndrome, low confidence is caused by lots of factors. All of which you can overcome! Watch this week’s video for some insights into the real cause of imposter syndrome. Which is also one of the triggers for low confidence.

You see, confidence is not ‘part’ of you. It’s a mindset, which is  driven by your belief in your abilities. And those beliefs can change at any stage of  your life. In fact, brain research shows that you can rewire your brain and change your thinking habits from the cradle to the grave. And that’s great news. It means you’re never too young to be confident and… you’re never too old to be confident!

You can learn to activate confidence by mastering a few mind-management tools. I recommend using  Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) to build your emotional mastery, because they are quick to learn. For example, you can use NLP to trigger a confident state just by focusing your attention the right way. Did you know that your brain can’t tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined? That means you can change your mood just by using your imagination and your memory. Many NLP state management tools help you do this.

Try this easy technique right now. Close your eyes and remember a time you WERE confident in the past. Replay that memory, paying attention to what you saw,  heard and felt during that confident experience.  Make the memory as vivid as you can.  Use all your senses as you remember how you ‘coded’ your confidence. You’ll soon notice yourself feeling more confident in real time. That’s because you’ve just activated your ‘confidence pathways’.

Thousands of people use NLP every day. And why is that? Because it’s fastest and easiest way to change your thinking and change your state. If you’d like more tips on using NLP or on building complete confidence, come along to one of my online classes. I’d love to help you master the art of confident thinking!

This article was created by Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a leadership trainer and success coach. Her mission is inspiring talented people to become leaders who make a difference.  Since discovering her passion for training and development, Eleanor has trained more than 60,000 people. She delivers face-to-face workshops for corporates, online masterclasses for leaders and Positive Psychology retreats for trainers, HR practitioners and leaders.