Checking Your Self-Confidence Levels

Do you want to be confident? You may have answered - yes; I truly want confidence. However, the answer doesn't quite have an impact since it is generalized. Everyone would like to do well and strike it rich, but few people realize their wish. The reason is because in order to get where you want to go in life, you have to have confidence that you can quantify. The task you need to be confident in needs to be defined, which allows you to execute it in a successful way. Your dream has to have a deadline!

Self-confidence often means different things to different people. A child might define self-confidence as being able to recite a poem for her teacher. A business executive might define it as the ability to present a business report confidently to the board of directors. A salaried person may define it as having the ability to switch from the security of his or her job to an independent venue, and so forth. In order to execute the task, all of these people have to have a level of confidence, which is what sees them through. Every single task has a minimal confidence level that is required in order to execute it. Do you have something that need to be done? Do you think you have the level of confidence it takes to launch the task? Let's find out!

This is a simple questionnaire. You need to answer each as a YES or NO

• Do you find that too often you can't make the decision all by yourself and instead you rely on friends, your spouse, or colleagues to help you sort it out?

• Do you find the need to be in a support system of some kind to make you feel secure?

• Do you sit quietly and listen in office meetings?

• Do you find it hard to report something to your boss, or you may have a great idea that could improve your department's efficiency but you do not have the courage to speak to your boss about it?

• Are you afraid to meet new people? Is public speaking out of the question for you?

• Do you take on whatever your boss hands you even if you are already overloaded and can't say no?

• Do you obsess about what others may think about you?

• Is the thought of taking risks scary?

• Are you unhappy with your appearance?

• Do you feel uncomfortable when you are in a large group or a social gathering?

If you answered these questions with a yes, then you are definitely in a confidence crisis, that could definitely stop you from executing your tasks. Do not panic, this is a good thing that you found this out and you are now aware that you have a confidence problem. Now that you are aware of the problem, you can take action to rectify these negative effects on your confidence level and work to build it.

Here are a few more questions to answer.

• Have you ever accomplished anything?

• Are you the first person to speak up in a group situation or do you wait for someone else to speak first?

• Do you get the sense that others respect you?

• Do you think you can succeed?

• Are you a loving and happy person?

• Are you content with your career?

• Do you feel satisfied with your qualifications and skill level?

• Are you in control of your own life?

• Do you envision yourself in a more successful situation in five years from now?

• Are you a worthwhile person?

If you answered the majority of these with a NO, then you definitely have LOW self-confidence. However, answering "yes" is not decisive and a "no" is definitely not final, ever. You need to continually work to convert bad points to good. This is very possible, which is very good news. Take your time and answer the above questions truthfully. This is the only way you will come to realize your present self-confidence level and what you need to work on to build your self-confidence.