
Find Your Confidence Blueprint!
When you’ve got a new offer to launch or promote, it’s natural to have worries and doubts,
especially as your inner critic will probably come out to ask you
“Can you really deliver this?!”
“Who are you to boast that you can actually do this?”
Does this sound familiar ?
With something new and untested, it can be hard to ignore those critical words, and it can really throw you off balance to have that sort of chatter echoing through your mind as you go about trying to promote your new offer.
Yet your inner critic is doing its job to protect you and keep you safe (albeit in a very ineffective way!).
Before you sink under the weight of (internal) criticism, and dither even longer over how/when/where to promote your offer, allow yourself an alternative view:
Find comfort in the positives …. (your Confidence Blueprint!)
My daughter has just started High School (with inevitable woes and worries as she navigates this whole new world). As I try to comfort and reassure her, I’m reminded so much of my own experience of starting senior school.
On my first day, I remember sitting in a big assembly hall, surrounded by hundreds of girls I didn’t know (and some girls that I wished I didn’t). I felt alienated, lost and desperately wanting to be somewhere else.
We were streamed according to ability, and the head teacher was reading out the names of girls in each class, from the lowest to the highest ability.
She started with those in the lowest class, and called out all the names, then moved onto the next highest class.
I waited nervously to hear my name,
and I waited and I waited.
Eventually she began reading the names of those in the top class, and there she called my name ….!
I felt a wave of shock run through me, that slowly settled into a surge of pride and strength.
I felt like punching the air !
Because it reminded me that even though I felt like a failure, sitting nervously in this big hall, not knowing anyone – actually my past results and achievements had come with me and proved that I was really good at something ! (and no-one could take that away).
And that made me sit a little bit taller in my seat, and feel a little more brave in this new context – in a place where I felt very insecure. The knowledge that I’d already proved myself very capable gave me a warm glow inside.
And so it can be with you
When you’re putting something out for the first time it’s totally natural to be nervous and doubting yourself.
But remembering how you’ve helped people in the past will infuse you with the knowledge that you CAN do this (and HAVE done it with great success for your clients in the past).
How can you feel at ease and tap into the confidence that you already have – (and create your Confidence Blueprint)?
Develop a daily connection practice
It’s really important to have a sense of your deep connection to the Universe – to ground you and bring your awareness down into your body.
There are many ways to do this, and you can try different things and see which ones work for you.
You can meditate, listen to (or imagine) the sounds of waves gently washing on the shore, or open your heart and invite Source to be with you – whatever practice will take you out of your head and invite a deeper sense of awareness that you are not alone. You have a strong and equal place in the Universe, and you and your work matter.
Hear what your inner critic has to say, but don’t take it to heart
Your inner critic will naturally have lots to say, and if you try to ignore it, it will only speak louder. So invite it in, listen to it, maybe even write down the words.
Acknowledge that it has a positive intent for you (even if you can’t see that).
You can say something like
“Thankyou, I understand you’re trying to help me
I know you want the best for me, and you want me to succeed.
I’m choosing not to let your words hurt me”
Create your Confidence Blueprint!
The wellbeing and success of your clients is your top priority – and you’ve naturally had great results already (otherwise you wouldn’t be doing this work right?!)
Choose a memory of a time in your past work with people where you’ve had great results – you know you made a difference and they were really pleased with the outcome.
Close your eyes and picture the scene, engage all of your senses to relive this memory in a powerful way.
- See the picture through your eyes and notice how vivid the colours are, notice the textures and shapes.
eg someone’s smiling face, maybe a look of relief, or relaxation,
What else can you see in the picture?
- Hear the sounds that you heard and then make them louder and clearer
eg laughter, maybe tears as they release something that’s been holding them back, someone saying thank you.
- Drop into your body and feel the physical sensations, and the emotions you felt at the time
eg a warm glow in your belly, a vibration moving through your heart, a feeling of oneness and peace as your body is in flow with the Universe.
Your body holds the key to powerful memories, that can unlock a wealth of confidence and self assurance.
All the sights, sounds, sensations and emotions that come to you when reliving this memory – these make up your ‘Confidence Blue-print’.
You can use this often to anchor you back to the ‘Truth’ of the success you’ve already had (and will have again.)
Find comfort in the positives, and leave the rest behind.
When launching a new offer, it’s natural to feel fear and insecurity, but just like I did on my first day in senior school – I was reminded of the great success I’d already had. That gave me the boost I needed to sit up tall and proud!
Take the time to create your confidence blue-print, then when doubts and insecurities come up, you can use that as a great antidote and enjoy the powerful memory of your previous success.
Here’s to your future success, one step at a time!
Thanks to kiukey for the photo.
Over To You:
How do you deal with wobbles and doubts as they come up? Do you have a favourite connection practice that you’d love to share? Please leave a comment and let me know – and your sharing will inspire others!
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Great blog Ann,
I feel for the younger you sitting waiting for your name to be called, I’ve been there too!
I love this NLP process & how it’s applicable to just about any walk of life. I’ve just been away with my choir & several of the soloists found this really helpful, the blueprint being you hit the right note last time, so you can easily repeat it.
Lesley
Thanks Lesley, and so excited to hear about your choir on tour! I know you help your clients using this process too, and isn’t it great how flexible and powerful it is in many different contexts?! So glad you could help your soloists hit the right notes! x
Thank you for these really handy tips, as I have become more cautious recently of releasing anything new xxxxx
Thanks for your comment Lisa! x
Ann, we need all the styles and ways that resonate for each of us to connect to that confident self. I love that you are helping others shift their self-perception.
The way I do that for myself is to notice the appearance of the inner critic, first in my body because I’ll probably feel upset. Then I question its way of thinking and shift the thought. Then I move on. If I am more deeply upset, I will journal and get my Wise Woman into the act.
Thanks for doing the work you do in the world. We need all of us. Miriam xo
Yes listening to the critic yet inviting other parts into the mix is really powerful – I love to help women find their equivalent ‘Wise Woman’! (Mine is called ‘Earth Mother’ and she sees and knows all things, the ‘truth’ of who I am in the world)
Thankyou for doing YOUR powerful work Miriam – women need your guidance to tap into their own wisdom when they’re struggling with their eating. x
Lovely post, Ann. Thank you. It lands with me for several reasons: firstly, you ‘ve reminded me to reconnect with my stillness and truth. My inner critics often show up with quite a nervy, restless energy which unchecked can keep me in an agitated state – not at all conducive to brave acts I’ve found :o). Your post reminds me to step out of this energy and sink into something more grounded, peaceful and, most importantly, truthful.
Second, I think it’s prevelant – maybe rife – for people in this age where so many messges conspire to have us believe we’re ‘never enough’, that we can overly dwell on our difficulties, failures, and struggles and lose site of our more powerful selves. Your post reminds us to connect with our inspiration and joy, two superheroes our gremlins can’t abide!
Thanks again, Lovely. xxx
Thankyou Sarah. Yes, …reconnecting with our stillness and truth. So important! Your words bring a sense of stillness already – I love your wise strength! Connecting with our inspiration and joy is indeed another ‘thread’ in this rich tapestry. Thankyou for sharing! xx