Retrain Your Brain To Make Confidence A Skill, Not A Trait!

I've never been one to shy away from a challenge or underestimate myself. It's possible that people have said of me that I overestimate myself, whatever that means! But I don't think of it that way. I have self confidence and a belief that I can accomplish the things I want. Which is what I do! I've always had big goals and the drive to accomplish them. A no-fear attitude has helped me a lot, too. That doesn't mean I've never been afraid, I just haven't let fear prevent me from doing something I wanted to do. Like going to school in France even though I didn't speak French! If you've read my story on this website, you'll know what I'm talking about!

I was all over the place for a number of years, although there was a thread of logic to it all. I started out working in a restaurant kitchen, went to cooking school in France (before I could say "Oui, chef!"), started a catering company and banquet facility, then shifted to event planning. See? All very logical. Then, after years of doing my own thing, I wrote a book, branched out to consulting, scored some high-profile gigs... et voilà (I learned that in France)... here I am today! But keep in mind, each one of those steps was risky and the chance of failure was high. Regardless, I charged ahead with the self confidence and drive of someone who just knew that she'd be crazy successful, even though I didn't really know that for sure!

Want To Build Self Confidence? Think About It!

So, enough about me! What about you? Are you a "Yes, I can!" or a "No, I can't!" kind of person? If you're of the "Yes I can" persuasion, then I'm preaching to the choir! But if you're often a doubter, maybe this advice will help. Believing in yourself and your ability to accomplish your goals – self confidence – is a huge factor in whether or not you'll be successful. It helps you get over the fear of failure. And it lets you believe that you can affect your own outcome and that it's not all up to fate.

Now I'm not suggesting that when you're embarking on a new business venture that you jump in blindly. I believe in doing your homework and being prepared. You've gotta know what you're getting into! But once you know and if you think it's a good deal, you need to let confidence take over. If you're already running your own business, you've signed on the dotted line, so to speak, many times. So maybe you have self confidence in spades! Which might mean you know that confidence is something you can train yourself to have. Be positive, think positive thoughts, surround yourself with positive people! These are all things that confident people do... and they work!

Not too long ago, I said that owning a business means the work never ends! Ain't that the truth? I bet your to-do list is a mile long! Make sure that the items at the top of your list are the things that relate to being more profitable. Everyone is so proud of being so "busy"...But Are You Making Any Money? Don't be too busy to focus! And remember to have confidence in what you're doing! Yes, I can! Yes, I can...!

Be Oh So Quotable This Week!

This week, we've got a roundup of quotes from some of my favorite authors to help you focus on self confidence. As I often am, I was online looking for inspirational business quotes when I stumbled upon (ha!) OneMinuteList.com via StumbleUpon.com. What I love so much about this site, also aptly named, is that it really takes one minute to read their posts... and you'll learn some great information for business strategy or cocktail conversation! Over the past few weeks I've been sharing quotes from their post, 18 Most Powerful Quotes, to hopefully inspire you to keep going in your business. Also, check out 57 Fascinating Business Facts That Will Blow Your Mind from BuzzFeed News and fantastic tips from #TheHiveLA host Sean Low!

Check out the summary of last week's business tips and motivational quotes from my Instagram page which you hopefully got to see in real time! If not, let's make sure we're following each other on Instagram!! So...here is this week's roundup of Instagram images of My Top Business Tips and Motivational Quotes.

Self Confidence – Tip #1:

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"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – either way you're right." – Henry Ford

Self Confidence – Tip #2:

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"Starbucks' round tables were created specifically so customers would feel less alone."

Self Confidence – Tip #3:

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"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand. Most people listen with the intent to reply." – Stephen R. Covey

Self Confidence – Tip #4:

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"Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace." – Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Self Confidence – Tip #5:

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"Honor your creativity."

Do you have self confidence? I want YOUR stories on how it impacted your business!

I'm sure you have stories to tell about how having – or not having – self confidence made a difference for you. Which tips above did you find helpful? I would LOVE to hear from you!

Anyhoo...I publish these business tips and motivational quotes to get you fired up for your work week! And, if you want more business tips, get my book, But Are You Making Any Money? or contact me to really take your business to the next level!

xoxo M

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