Friday, January 31, 2014

Building confidence

Ed Sheeran-Wake Me UP

Today is freezing but Swimming is on day 3 of confidence takeover. My new year's resolution was to become more confident in my life. I started the endeavor back around Thanksgiving, however, as most things in my life go, unless I commit 110% they fall to the wayside. Thus, I am on day 3 after recognizing that I need as much practice as possible in order to make it second nature. I've already secured a good number of books which I'll include as a list later once I read them and find what ones are useful. When I approach a problem of any kind I try to consider as many possible angles to analyze, attack, and annihilate the problem. My confidence quest is no different. Behold my list of tools I'm using to build more confidence throughout the day (if anyone has any more please feel free to add!):

(1) I find it fortuitous that I found this on Day 1: The eight barriers to Confidence c/o HBS.
(2) From #1 I made a cheat sheet to post up around my apartment.  BE FEARLESS.
(3) I found a few good affirmation apps for the phone (there aren't many though) but quotes help.
(4) On that note, I also added affirmation reminders on my phone (ie 5am--time to wake up and rock it out Swimming! 12pm--keep going you can do it Swimming! 3pm--inhale confidence, exhale anxiety! 6pm--keep calm and carry on.)
(5) I cannot explain how helpful this small simple tool has been: the POWER POSE
-I had two exams today and definitely tried this right before and, if nothing else, I was not nervous at all and was much calmer. Result reflect confidence in my extensive prep and my ability to reason if I'm unsure!
(6) On that note, just having better posture and body language really is enough to change my frame of mind (placebo or not.) 
(7) Place specific things on habit list app to keep a track record and make confidence into a habit and then into second nature.
(8) As with most conditions, mindfulness and meditation helps and Yoga for better posture and mind!
(9) Eliminate negative talk. Self-talk or otherwise. I tend to use sarcastic humor as an outward projection of insecurity. I find that discussing anything negatively (funny or not) or stressfully only adds to more anxiety in my life in general. Basically, stop complaining and stay positive.
(10) Now that my running injuries have subsided ( although I have to sleep with night splints that feel like ski boots for two months but what a wonderful way to build character!) I'll be back to exercising--I place faith that in feeling better through exercise, food, and sleep are basic steps to generally feeling better internally.
(11) I think it's interesting to inspect what makes someone have low self-esteem. Many of the things on there resonate with me (perfectionism, neurotic guilt, willingness to please, chronic indecision...) Insecurity creeps ip in wild ways so I can now identify it! BEGONE.
(12) On that same point, I think it's worth considering the opposite spectrum of overconfidence. (Overestimation, over-assurance.) An important way to overcome this I think refers back to #1 and building a confidence community. Be positive about others.

More to come, but as it stands I'd like to leave ya'll with this: Be Fearless. Be positive. Be mindful.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Panda Cam update

How cute is this! I love the Smithsonian panda cam. Especially since Bao Bao, the newborn baby panda, is on it. Here's a screenshot of Bao Bao stuck in a corner. He's been in that little area for quite some time now.