Choose you!

Do you know your worth? Do you back yourself and feel confident because you know you are enough?

If you don't, you aren’t alone - we are all aware of the increase in the number of people feeling anxious or stressed in today’s world. The amount of people who fear they cannot cope with what may be round the corner, the increasing numbers of people feeling imposter syndrome are on the rise

We know these feelings of stress and anxiety are not helpful. In fact, they are harmful to our bodies as well as our minds, to say nothing of the impact we have when we appear anxious and stressed on our friends and loved ones and frankly, also our credibility at work. But what can we actually do about it? Especially because some of the factors which are making us feel this way, may appear to be so far out of our control?

The good news is, that honestly (and surprisingly for some of us), there is actually a lot we can do about it 

Some of these things we may be vaguely aware of. For example, the importance of being active. We are not necessarily talking about some crazy intense fitness routine here, but we are talking about getting off our sofas and doing some kind of activity which we enjoy, ideally outside. In fact, researchers confirm that time in gardens and green spaces have a significant positive impact on stress. This happens when we are outdoors with nature even for a short period, plus when we take a break to enjoy the outdoors it lifts our sense of wellness still further 

Together with looking after our physical health some of the keys to good stress management, according to Professor Cary Cooper, an occupational health expert at the University of Lancaster, are these 4 things. Firstly, building emotional strength, secondly, being in control of our situation, thirdly, having a good social network and fourthly, adopting a positive outlook. When we look at these four elements, they can be summarised as building and strengthening a feeling of confidence. As our illustration, and the Sean Patrick Flanery quote encourage, let’s do something today that our future selves will thank us for

When we are confident, we have a feeling of trust in our own abilities, qualities and judgement - we are self-assured, believe in ourselves, are positive, composed and feel capable

Confidence is attractive, it brings success, helps us to connect better with others and we generally feel happier

So, when we realise that Choosing Confidence is the opposite of feeling overwhelmed and appearing anxious or stressed and we also realise that our success and ability to unlock our unique potential is determined by our confidence, how do we start choosing to be confident?  

The journey starts with first becoming aware that we can, in fact, take control and choose to be confident

Seems simple yet this may well be the biggest mind-set shift which can take us from feeling anxious and stressed, to taking control and achieving our unique potential - confidence is a choice

Second, is the incredibly powerful realisation that we can move forwards from feelings of anxiety and worry, to feelings of capability and confidence by swapping perfection for progress

Swapping perfection for progress means we aim for progress, not perfection

Even the smallest steps of progress move us forwards. And progress is addictive - these steps of progress give us an addictive dopamine hit of achievement and momentum. Whenever we recognise our progress, our brain releases a load of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for generating feelings of accomplishment, satisfaction and happiness. This inspires us to take the next small step forwards, consistently taking steps today that our future selves will thank us for

Small steps of progress, sparking confidence with each new step

This is what we call being progressfull - by swapping perfection for progress we start to let go of feelings of anxiety and stress so we can focus our time and energy in the best small steps forwards, spending our lives doing the things which make us truly happy and achieving our potential

Being progressfull helps us to step by step, Choose Confidence - to start trusting our abilities, our qualities and our judgement

Because we saw that so many people can benefit from living a life of progress, not perfection, we set up a company called Progressfull™. An experience with us takes you from feeling overwhelmed and unfulfilled to inspired, energised and on track.  Our passion is to help you unlock your personal progress – helping life work for you not against you – from home, to work, to your whole life

We have an Upskill, (our word for a course), which can help you Choose Confidence. Choosing Confidence includes online videos, 121 Mentoring, bespoke Journals, private podcasts and purposeful self-reflection exercises designed to help you unlock your ability to Choose Confidence, taking steps today that your future self will thank you for

Choosing Confidence is not easy, but it is worth it. You have just one life, so gain self-assurance, poise and confidence, trust yourself and choose you!

As Marie Curie so wisely said,

“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained”

Discover more about Choosing Confidence here