2026: Build Self-Confidence
2026 is the year you will re-start yoga! You will leave the job you despise! You will break ties with your toxic ex! You will run a marathon! You will return to school!
I have a sneaking suspicion that some of these vows are repeats from last year…
All your well-intentioned resolutions will fizzle out faster than the sparklers you used to bring in the new year if you lack self-confidence. If you don’t value yourself to chase what you dream of, you simply won’t. You’ll find other things to do that are less scary and easier. You’ll continue to treat yourself like you have been. Like you matter less than others, like your time here on Earth matters less than your neighbor’s or your boss’s. Either that, or you don’t truly want whatever goal you stated aloud, but that’s a topic for another time.
Let’s focus on how to build your confidence so that you do take steps towards what you want and need this year. You must believe to achieve.
5 steps to begin this minute to build self-confidence:
Dress for success. I know I’m a therapist, not a fashionista, but how we dress can reflect how we’re feeling about ourselves. You don’t need to shell out a lot of money, but choosing clothes that you feel confident in, whether it be for work, browsing for books, or working out, can help shift your self-image. Bonus tip within a tip: Take a shower too before you get dressed! The multi-sensory components of a shower can transform your mood.
Know your values. Pick your top 3 values from this list. Reflect on which ones you are actively living out and which ones you hold, but need more attention in implementing. When you live according to your values, you reduce anxiety and gain direction which leads to confidence. Examples: Adventure, altruism, courage, stability, patience, family…
Choose a positive mantra. Replace those negative thoughts with positive ones:
I am capable of anything I put my mind to.
I am worthy.
I can overcome any challenges that come my way. I am resourceful. I am powerful.
Good things come from change. I embrace the unknown.
Act positively. One can sense the shift in mood in the therapy room when I ask my clients to report 3 things that are “going well” in their lives. Even just talking about something that is going well or “right” is a positive action. I challenge you to get out of the problem-saturated stories you are used to bringing to your conversations. Put a smile on someone else’s face. Their smile may become your smile. Share your positive energy with others, lend a helping hand, be kind, and notice how your confidence blooms.
Exercise. Enlist a friend if it helps. Make a playlist if you prefer to be solo. We are meant to move. Walk, dance, run, swim, climb, stretch, lift, jump. Your newfound energy resulting from working out will help you to take strong steps towards your dreams.
You are worth the time and effort it takes to make positive changes. I’m confident you can do it.
