Ask any self-confident person how they became so confident, they’ll most likely tell you to “fake it until you make it.” This advice prompts those that aren’t so confident to tell themselves they are so many times until you believe it. Truth be told, there is no easy way out in building confidence or overnight success stories. If you aren’t a naturally confident person it’s something you need to build up for years. It’s challenging, trying, and can teach you a lot about yourself along the way but wow – is it rewarding when you start to truly feel it. 

However, depending on your lifestyle, career, financial situation, or really any other factor in your day-to-day life, it can be hard to keep up the positive self-talk. Naturally, as people, we tend to be very critical of ourselves. We tear ourselves down for making the wrong decision or saying the wrong thing, even if others don’t deem them to be wrong. Self-confidence allows you to feel trust in yourself, your words, actions, beliefs, qualities, and judgment. Without it, negative self-talk creeps in and can impact your overall well-being. 

You may find that you’re more confident in your personal life rather than your work life, or vice-versa. It’s common for many young professionals fresh out of college to feel unequipped, nervous, and less confident than older colleagues. While there’s nothing wrong with this, there are ways you can build confidence as you continue to gain experience and add more years under your belt, which naturally builds confidence. WorkItDaily suggests gaining emotional intelligence, building relationships, and taking risks in the workplace to help boost confidence at work. 

A recent survey by Spruce found that men in the United States tend to be more confident than women. Respondents were asked on a 1-10 point scale how confident they feel overall and men averaged at a 7.04 while women averaged a 6.8. While this is not a significant difference, it does raise a few eyebrows. When asking confidence levels by age range, most people could guess the outcome of this. People aged 55-64 said they are the most confident, followed by 65+, 45-54, 24-34, 35-44, and lastly, 18-24. 

If you weren’t born a naturally confident person, chances are you can expect to feel a bit more confident as each decade of your life passes. It takes a lot of patience and self-love but you’ll get there – just hang tight.