One of the biggest hurdles I see with job seekers and even many employed professionals is that they lack self confidence. While some people have abundant self confidence in their genes, others need to cultivate it and this all starts with positive self affirmation.

It’s easy to criticize and beat yourself up for your weaknesses but the reality is you are not broken and you deserve to focus on what you do well. There are enough negative people in the world that will focus on what you need to improve upon so give yourself a break and focus on what you do really well.

If you believe you are good enough – you will be! The bottom line is that you are not perfect and you need to get used to it. If you focus your energies on playing to your strengths you can let go of your inner judge and relax into your natural talents.

Once you give yourself permission to recognize and play to your strengths, don’t be afraid to tout your accomplishments. You deserve the accolades that you have earned. It’s really important in a job interview or a performance evaluation to be able to articulate what you do really well.

Do yourself a favor and keep a log for an entire week of all the things you do really well from the personal to the professional and look back and reflect upon what makes you great. The list may astound you because you spend so much time focusing on the weakness that you rarely give yourself a pat on the back for what you do well.

I read an article from Pick the Brain – Grow Yourself online that suggested these wonderful ways to ramp up your self confidence. Perception is reality — the more self confidence you have, the more likely it is you’ll succeed.

1. Dress Sharp

Although clothes don’t make the woman, they certainly affect the way she feels about herself. No one is more conscious of your physical appearance than you are. When you don’t look good, it changes the way you carry yourself and interact with other people. Use this to your advantage by taking care of your personal appearance.

2. Good Posture

The way a person carries herself tells a story. People with slumped shoulders and lethargic movements display a lack of self confidence. They aren’t enthusiastic about what they’re doing and they don’t consider themselves important. By practicing good posture, you’ll automatically feel more confident. Stand up straight, keep your head up, and make eye contact. You’ll make a positive impression on others and instantly feel more alert and empowered.

3. Personal Commercial

Write a 30-60 second speech that highlights your strengths and goals. Then recite it in front of the mirror aloud whenever you need a confidence boost.

4. Gratitude

When you focus too much on what you want, the mind creates reasons why you can’t have it. This leads you to dwell on your weaknesses. The best way to avoid this is consciously focusing on gratitude. Set aside time each day to mentally list everything you have to be grateful for.

5. Compliment other people

When we think negatively about ourselves, we often project that feeling on to others in the form of insults and gossip. To break this cycle of negativity, get in the habit of praising other people.

6. Speak up

During group discussions many people never speak up because they’re afraid that people will judge them for saying something stupid. This fear isn’t really justified. Generally, people are much more accepting than we imagine. In fact most people are dealing with the exact same fears. By making an effort to speak up at least once in every group discussion, you’ll become a better public speaker, more confident in your own thoughts, and recognized as a leader by your peers.