Hospitality Management Schools

How to Build Self Confidence

It’s probably the only asset you need in order to succeed, and ironically, often the one thing that people have very little of. You need it in the right amount in order to make the right kind of effect – too much of it and you come across as an assertive know-it-all, and too little of it and you are never taken seriously. It’s obvious that self confidence is something you gain naturally with success, but you must know how to build this asset even when you have seen more failure than tasted success. And if you’re looking to do that, you must:

· Work on your weak areas: Know yourself well before you attempt to build self confidence; only then can you identify those areas where you’re weak and work on them. So if public speaking gives you the shivers, practice talking in front of a mirror till you gain a little confidence. Then move on to addressing small crowds at family occasions before you test your skills on larger gatherings filled with strangers. Even if your first appearance is a debacle, continue to improve your skills without shying away from the public stage. The key to developing self confidence is to let go of your fear and face it head on.

· Build on your successes: When you know you’re good at something, work on developing your skills further in this field. The better you are, the higher your level of confidence. And the more your confidence, the better you become. It’s a cycle that feeds on itself and grows stronger through reinforcement of success.

· Adopt a positive attitude: When you stay positive, it’s easy to be self confident. Even if you’re not really confident, you project an attitude of being so, and this makes people believe in you too. When people show that they are confident in your abilities, you begin to gain self confidence too.

Self confidence grows when you attempt to build it; so try as hard as you can, even though you fall short more often than not. It’s all in your attitude!

5 Ways to Find Motivation

There are some people who seem to be always full of energy, so much so that you wonder what motivates them to be go-getters all the time. And then there are others who seem to slack off and lag behind in anything they do, simply because they don’t have enough interest. You, like most other people, probably fall somewhere in between the two categories – you find yourself in dire need of motivation at times, especially when it comes to doing something that you’re not too fond of. So how do you search for this elusive commodity when it seems to hide itself exactly when you need it the most?

· By developing an interest: The key to finding motivation is to find interest first. When you are interested in something, the motivation to succeed at it naturally follows. So if you must do something, even if you do not like it too much, try to develop an interest in it, because when you do, motivation cannot be far behind. If you’re supposed to deliver a speech but the idea of public speaking terrifies you, talk about something that you are familiar with and that you are passionate about. This should help overcome your fear of facing an audience.

· By focusing on the goal: The best way to continue to motivate yourself is to focus on your goal. So if you aim to lose weight and get fit, think of how you’re going to look once you shed all those excess pounds. Think of the alternative – a fat slob who cannot fit properly into decent sized clothes. It’s enough to get you up in the morning and on your way to the gym.

· By taking the first step: The first step is always the hardest, but once it’s done, it’s easy to stick to the path that you’ve chosen to take. Remember, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, so you must take that first step by hook or by crook if you want to motivate yourself to continue on your journey. Once you start, if you’ve invested a significant amount of money and effort in the process, you won’t want to stop.

· By committing yourself: When you commit yourself and give your word to other people, you feel compelled to see the task through. So the best way to motivate yourself is to tell others that you will do it, come hell or high water. The fear of failure on a public stage is enough to spur you on to attempt to do your best.

· By roping in other people: When you seek the help of your family or friends to help accomplish a task or reach a goal, you have someone at hand to motivate you when your spirits and interest show signs of flagging. So tell a friend or your spouse about your aspirations and get them to help you stay on track.