By Dr. Cindy Tsai, MD, physician and founder, CEO and chief wellness officer of Yes & More and member of NAWBO San Diego
Do you want the key to rapid success in business? Confidence.
It doesn’t matter what industry or business model you have, the one commonality among successful women business owners is their unwavering confidence.
Confidence is the belief and mindset you have about yourself and your ability to overcome challenges and succeed.
This strong conviction propels female entrepreneurs forward, enabling them to take risks, make tough decisions and navigate challenges with grace and resilience. This is the foundation upon which successful businesses are built and sustained.
When a woman business owner lacks confidence, it can have detrimental effects on her business and well-being overall from self-doubt, fear of failure, to imposter syndrome and more.
As a double board-certified physician and chief wellness officer, I help high-achieving, successful women entrepreneurs identify and release their blocks to success so they don’t keep repeating the same mistakes and cause unnecessary stress to their physical and mental health and well-being overall.
Here are some tips to help you unlock confidence as you continue on your journey to rapid success!
1) Stop THIS detrimental behavior.
There’s a detrimental behavior that accomplished women often have that can erode their confidence and self-belief.
They seldom pause and celebrate their accomplishments!
Yes, you may have a lengthy to-do list and feel like there’s never enough time to get it done. It can feel overwhelming, like an insurmountable “gap,” where your idealized future appears always out of reach compared to the current reality.
However, this can be a trap as author Dan Sullivan shared in the book The Gap and the Gain, where focusing on this gap leads to feelings of dissatisfaction and unhappiness.
In contrast, when we focus on the “gain,” or recognizing the progress we’ve made and how far we’ve come with our achievements, this leads to feelings of happiness and motivation.
A big part of gaining confidence comes from experience and acknowledging all the growth and lessons we’ve learned. It’s crucial to build a practice and habit of celebrating your wins and accomplishments regularly, at all times, to further your confidence.
Ask yourself: What are three major wins from the past week? What about the past month? The past year?
Take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate YOU for everything you’ve done to get to this point.
2) Create a powerful visualization practice that speaks to you.
Did you know that the brain can’t tell the difference between what’s real and imagined? Visualization is the technique of using your imagination to create what you want in your life. There’s nothing strange, unusual, scary or worrisome about visualization. You’re already using it every day without realizing.
When you think about confidence and self-belief, it’s crucial to embody and become the version of you who already has what you want and visualization is a key skill for this.
You may have heard of creating vision boards that may be helpful to some. Journaling your ideal scenario is also a great option. You want to make it as tangible as possible. The most important factor is to allow yourself to truly FEEL how good it would be.
Anytime you have a few minutes, allow yourself to visualize and step into this version of you who has tremendous confidence in herself.
Keep practicing, reinforcing and allowing yourself to believe and feel inspired.
3) Take action.
The reality is, confidence without action is merely a wish. While confidence provides a foundation for success, it’s through action that women can solidify their belief in themselves, overcome self-doubt and achieve their entrepreneurial goals.
Break down your goals into small actionable steps. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Let it be messy. Making mistakes is part of the process.
Take action, even when you are nervous and afraid. Be brave. Create your own roadmap to ensure you’re staying productive and aligned.
Ask yourself: How would I show up if I had unshakeable confidence? What actions would I be taking? What actions would I not be taking? What results would I have?
Remember that you are not meant to do this alone. Surround yourself with a supportive network of peers, mentors and coaches who can provide guidance, encouragement and accountability to help you stay focused on your path.
The journey of entrepreneurship is not easy and challenges are inevitable. Through celebrating your growth, visualizing your ideal and embracing action, you’ll cultivate a strong sense of self-belief to help you stay inspired and motivated to achieve the great success and impact you’re meant to have!
About the Author…
Dr. Cindy Tsai, MD, is an award-winning board-certified physician, TEDx speaker, bestselling author and chief wellness officer. As founder of Yes & More, a personal growth and wellness company, she empowers leaders and organizations to thrive through mindfulness and integrative mind-body-spirit wellness programs. Her training at Ivy League institutions and clinical experiences as both an internal and integrative medicine physician highlighted the impact of chronic stress and fueled her mission to do more than prescribe medications as a band-aid. Her passions lie in preventative health and holistic well-being with a vision to foster a healthier and happier world.