Success, an article by Calvin, a graphic design and business consultant from Cape Town. Catagories he specializes in: Graphic Design, Computer training, Web Marketing and Business motivational talks.

If you lack self confidence and are not achieving your goals, then maybe it is time for a new approach.

Are you falling into the trap of these 3 mistakes: it could be at the root of your problem.

1 - You focus on the wrong things.
When you focus on the wrong things then it will be a lot more difficult to gain the correct exposure and experiences that can improve your situation. Adopting a negative attitude about everyone and anything about you is a typical example. You may never get started at all. Or you see the world through a lens that won’t help you that much even if you gain some knowledge of possible remedies that could help you.
So what do you have to do?
You have to make a concerted effort and change how you view things i.e. unlearn your bad habits and put a more positive spin onto life.

2 - You don’t prepare.
Educating and preparing yourself can be a huge step in helping you gain confidence. For example, I rehearse and rewrite an important business talk or web meeting talk, over and over.
By doing research you can find breathing techniques (yes, I meditate every single day) that can quickly make you calmer and more relaxed. Even simple visualization techniques makes you feel more confident and positive.
So prepare adequately for any challenging task that you are faced with, and you will feel more comfortable and confident. Just don’t make the mistake of getting stuck in the preparation phase and using it as a way to avoid taking action and to avoid the possible pain that it may result in.

3 - You sit around and hope that the problem will go away somehow.
It is not going to help if you just hope that the challenges in your life will solve itself. You have to be willing to take action, to move out of your comfort zone and to face fear. This will increase your self confidence in a way that stays with you and not just pump it up temporarily. You have to be willing to take the punch and risk some emotional pain for a while. No pain, No gain.
Sometimes you may feel a little down - just longing for the day to end. But most times you will feel great as you just move over that invisible barrier and face your fear. You may not even get the result you wanted but still feel great about yourself because you just dared to face that fear or take some action.
Improving your self confidence and self-image, is not as difficult as it seems, as long as you can overcome the fear of failure and keep focused on the rewards at all times. Join me as we keep our eyes on the prize (not the problems).