Congratulations on making it through one tough year. Goodbye, 2020! You’re ready to take on 2021 and make it one of the best years yet. Whether you’re a die-hard resolution setter or you’re just looking for ways to feel more confident, Alex Perry, CEO of Practically Speaking, LLC has tips that will help you start with a bang and keep you going strong throughout the year. 

1. Set small resolutions.

The new year is full of promise and excitement. It’s easy to get sucked into the idea that you can achieve ANYTHING you set your mind to (and in record time). But that’s not true. According to the U.S. News & World Report, New Year’s resolutions fail about 80 percent of the time. Setting a resolution that’s too big, like running a marathon when you’ve never run, is a sure-fire way to lose confidence. Setting small resolutions, like running a mile by the end of January and then doing the work, will dramatically increase your chances of success. Once you’ve achieved your smaller resolution, you can move on to bigger and better resolutions. You’ll be able to look back at all the small resolutions you kept instead of one big one you didn’t, and your confidence will skyrocket! 

2. Stop negative self-talk. 

Are you your own worst enemy? Do you say things to yourself that you wouldn’t say to another human being? How often do you catch yourself saying things like “I’m so dumb.”, “I can’t get anything right?” or “I suck at this!”? If you said often, you aren’t alone. We think about 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts a day, and research suggests about 80% of those thoughts are negative. That’s like having a personal drill sergeant beating you down almost every waking moment of the day. If you want to boost your confidence, start talking nicely to yourself. When you catch yourself saying something negative, like “I’ve ruined everything!” stop and ask yourself, “Is that true?“. Chances are, what you’re saying isn’t right, is an exaggeration, or is just plain mean. Be kind to yourself and confidence will come. 

3. Accept Compliments.

You work hard, are generous and kind, and other people compliment you for it. But what do you say in return? Is it something like, “Oh gosh, no, I’m not that great.” or “Don’t’ say that! I didn’t really DO anything“? It’s easy to downplay or detract when someone compliments you. You don’t want people to think you have a “big head” or that you’re an ego maniac. However, every time you don’t accept a compliment, you’re taking away a chance to boost your confidence. If you’re worried about what to say when someone says something nice about you, simply smile and say, “Thank you.” That’s enough for them and enough for you to feel good about who you are and what you do.

To learn more about how to boost your confidence and communication skills, visit Alex at pswithalex.com.