When someone takes a test, what crosses their mind? Panic, anxiety, fear, uncertainty, or confidence, assertiveness? Perhaps a mix of everything.
Do you know why motivational quotes resonate with so many people? Because people want to be confident in the face of adversity. People want to be assured that even though they may not have everything together, they’ve got enough straightened out to tackle the problem.
Everyone is a little unsure about something. The most put together, suave person you know has a part of them where their confidence isn’t 100%.
When you walk up to someone and say something negative, that can tear down confidence and reduce the person to a pile of uncertainty. And they usually cave and you get what you want.
This is not a good negotiation strategy.
Don’t belittle the person you are talking with—navigate around what they are saying and try to come up with a solution that works best for both of you. Sometimes people just want to be included, to know someone else has confidence in them to allow them to contribute.
I have a Pinterest board full of quotes. Whenever I need some confidence boosting, I go there and spend a few minutes reading. It may not be the most productive thing I do that day, but it definitely makes me feel better.
What do you do to boost your confidence?
Photo by Jonathan Klok; J.K. Rowling quote added