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It 's Time For Change!

The Confidence Plan!What is it that makes confidence such an attractive and powerful

quality? Why do some people have it and others don’t? Can you really develop self-confidence if you lack it?

While confidence has always been a valuable trait to have, I think in these steadily changing times as well as this shifting economy, confi-dence is more valuable and more powerful than ever! Why? Because we are surrounded by uncertainty, the answers for how to move forward along with the answers for how to succeed must come from YOU! There are plenty of ideas, thoughts and opinions on what to do, how to do it and who to do it with, but there are no guarantees. You have to choose a path that is right for you, create a plan and stick to it, if you want to navigate a successful road to the future.

In addition, if you want people to follow you, hire you, or buy from you, you have to project a positive image that resonates optimism and gives others the courage they need to take action. Your ability to motivate your-self, as well as others, coupled with your ability to keep forging ahead in uncertain times is all a direct result of your level of self-confidence. So, if confidence is so important, how do you get it if you don’t have it?

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

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We can not chase an elusive dream. First, you have to define for your-self what confidence is to YOU! There are no right or wrong answers here; it is your definition of confidence. Webster defines confidence as the belief in your own abilities. Pretty good definition. This is a fine start, but for me confidence is SO MUCH MORE than that! Confidence is the passion I feel that gives me the internal courage to take the ac-tions I need in order to be successful in any and all given situations. It is a combina-tion of strength and humility, that encour-ages me to take risks, yet be open to take advice. I learn and build my own skills through the tal- ents of others. My confi-dence ensures that I speak up and speak out when I have ideas and opinions. Confi-dence also leads me to readily admit when I am wrong, and to be open about my struggles and failures with others so they can derive strength from my challenges.

Once you have defined what confidence is to you, you’re ready to take the next steps:

So, if Confidence is so important, how do you get it if you don’ t have it?Confidence

Defined!

My Definition of Confidence Overcoming Fear

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by each experi-ence in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do. Eleanor Roosevelt

“He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.” Napoleon Bonaparte

“You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind.” Dale Carnegie

Do the thing we fear, and the death of fear is certain. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Fear is the darkroom where negatives are developed. Anonymous

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Step 1.

Push Past Your Fear!

Step 1.

Embrace Fear and Failure

What stops you from moving forward? Avoiding things because we are afraid, of them, or because we don’t want to fear fail-

ure will diminish your ability to gain confi-dence. People who are confident gain their strength from trying something they fear and eventually accom- plishing it. Think of your children learning to ride their first bike. Did they fall? Most likely. Did they get up and get on the bike and try again? Most certainly. Children have tenacious cour-age. Children master new skills daily. Why? Children’s interest in acquiring a new skill

far outweighs their fear of anything that

stands in the way of accomplishing it. We must return to that child-like tenacious spirit to pierce through our doubts and fears. You must make a paradigm shift and realize that both fear and failure are gifts and im-portant steps you must go through in order to succeed. Both fear and failure help us to identify what isn’t working and what must change! This is important information in the growth process. When a child falls off a bike, he or she quickly learns to pedal harder to keep their balance. They have to push harder to keep moving ahead. That’s what we must do too.

Both fear and failure help us to

identify what isn’ t work-

ing and what must change!

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How To Push Past Fear

Use the next page to make a list of things which you are afraid of...things that you put off doing because you are afraid. Select one from your list that you would like to conquer.

Start small – pick something easy. For example, talk to someone you don’t know. Take an exercise class. Pick something that pushes you out of your comfort zone. Maybe it’s simply calling an old friend that you haven’t been in touch with for a while. Anything, just pick a small task that gives you some anxiety and push through it.

Each time you are victorious...Celebrate!

Reward yourself – you earned it and deserve it. Get a massage...Perhaps a night out! Take a nap – whatever would make you feel good... Do it!Immediately try again – keep going! Pick a little bigger issue and repeat the process again.

Keep a record of your victories too This will help you to see your progress and give you courage to con-tinue to push ahead.

List Your Top 10 Fears(From Greatest to Least)

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Step 2.

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Define Your vision...

Your Purpose... Your Values

What is it that you want and why do you want it? If you want to feel confident about what you are doing and why you are doing it, then

you need to clearly and articulately define what those are.

Victory RecapRemind Yourself of what you have overcome!

Step 2.

Vision

Vision

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Prov. 29:18 Amp.

“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” Joel A. Barker

“The question is not what you look at, but what you see.” Henry David Thoreau

“The real voyage of discovery consists of not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust

“Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.” Jonathon Swift

Your Vision & Purpose

Vision Statement

Purpose Statement

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Chart Your Course

Define what you want your life to look like in five years – What will you be doing professionally? Who will be in your personal life? How will you spend your down time? How will your life look financially, spiritually, socially and physically?

Why do you want this – what is the overall purpose – what are you trying to accomplish? What will a life like this mean for you? Your fam-ily? Your friends?

What are your values – what is important to you? What are your priorities? What five or six qualities would you want people to use to describe you?

Take personal responsibility

Have you made peace with the past and do you own your choices? Personal responsibility is a crucial step in gaining

confidence. Women are often held captive to their past. You are where you are because you chose to be here of your own choices. No matter the reason- your parents made you; it was the only job you could find; your boss is a jerk or does not listen or promote you; you’re shy and don’t like people; it doesn’t matter the reason own it. Own the fact that the only person you can control is you, and if your life is not working for you, you and you alone have the power to change it. There may be risk involved, it may be uncomfortable, but at the end of the day it is your choice whether you remain where you are or go for something different. Blame is wasted energy that could be powerfully refocused on you.

Step 3Step 3

Responsibility

“Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will, his personal responsibility.” Albert Schweitzer

“It is time in the West to defend not so much human rights as human obligations.” Alexander Solzhenitsyn

“I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; I will not refuse to do some-thing I can do.” Helen Keller

“The price of greatness is responsibility.” Winston Curchill

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Steps

List all the pivotal life experiences both successes and failures.Honestly ask yourself who you credit or blame for those areas/experi-ences.

Reflect and Assess

How did you – you alone – put yourself on the path that led to posi-tive results and negative results. Own it – understand that personal responsibility is the ultimate freedom putting you in control of what-ever happens in your life.

Do the core work

Do your actions match your words? If you want to be confident, what you say and what you do need to align. Think about ev-

ery aspect of your life - financial, personal, professional, emotional, physical, and spiritual. What’s not working? What’s in or out of align-ment with your vision, your purpose and most importantly your val-ues. Do your actions match your words? Confidence is about integrity, and if you struggle with any aspect of your life being transparent then you will struggle with confidence. The areas of your life do not have to be perfect, and your problems do not have to be solved. Instead you just need to be honest with yourself, and take the steps to celebrate your strengths and commit to work on your weaknesses.

Reflect & Assess

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Steps

Make a list of the following areas of your life: financial, personal, professional, physical, (health) and spiritual. Ask yourself what your vision is for each area. Do your current actions match your vision. De-termine whose responsibility it is for lack of alignment. (Hint – yours!) Own that!

Make a plan

You know where you want to go, you understand where you are, and you’ve taken responsibility for your actions. So, now

you just need to make a plan on what, where and how you are going to focus to go from move from your current state to your desired in-tended goal. What new strategies and behaviors will you employ to accomplish fulfillment? How can you prioritize your life to move for-ward? How will you hold yourself accountable?StepsKeep working from the steps above. Determine for each category what one or two things you could do to bring your actions and words into alignment.

Review your vision.What three areas of your life could you focus on that would help

you move towards your ultimate vision? What actions will you pri-oritize in your life – every week – that will move you towards your vision? How will you hold yourself accountable to do these actions?

Time To Align

Step 5Step 5

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TBe Mindful

This is almost a bonus step, but I consider it the most power-ful. Be aware and question why you make the choices you

do, the negative thoughts in your head, the times that you choose to take a risk versus those when you don’t. Observe how you feel after tackling and accomplishing something new. Mindfulness helps us un-derstand and embrace our emotions, so we can realistically address the issues we need to, and understand how to help ourselves remain more positive and more action-oriented.

Steps

When you do something or are about to do something that will pre-vent you from reaching your vision (i.e. negative self talk; spending money you don’t have etc..) just ask yourself: Why am I choosing to do this? What will the ultimate result be – positive or negative? What am I avoiding by choosing to take this action?

Confidence is definitely something that can be, and I believe (to be authentic) must be learned. Follow my steps or create your own, and then commit yourself to helping others develop theirs. That is my last step, once you have gained the skill your skill will be maximized by sharing your wisdom with others.

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Make & Keep A Plan

Choice

Meridith Elliott Powell

Coach

Keynote Speaker

Business Growth Expert

www.meridithelliottpowell.com

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“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

Joanne Kathleen Rowling

“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” Karen Kaiser Clark

“It’s choice-not chance-that determines your destiny.” Jean Nidetch

“Life is a sum of all your choices.”Albert Camus