Fake It Till You Make It
Fake It Till You Make It
If you want to become more confident, do you believe you can 'act as if' you are, and then eventually you will be? Actually it's true, thinking, feeling, or acting a certain way will cause you to actually think, feel, or act that way. I have tried it out many times and it has always worked for me.
My Experience
On one occasion, several years ago, I had made an appointment to meet a prospect. I was pitching a training course for his company employees. I didn't feel very confident about the meeting. I knew the prospect was high profile and that there were a lot of other, more experienced consultants, pitching for the same opportunity.
For a whole week I read positive affirmations like, "I am so happy now I've been selected to run this training course." "The employees are benefiting from all the new skills they've put into action." "The boss believes I can add value to his employees."
On the day of the meeting I wore a red blouse (red is a really confident colour). I felt how I would feel if I were chosen to provide the training and I introduced myself to the prospect with the confidence of someone who knows they are going to get their goal. And yes, I was selected.
What happens when you fake it till you make it?
When you “fake it till you make it,” you push yourself to go on, in spite of the fear. You might “fake” courage in the name of getting the job done.
Anything that pushes you to work through your fears is, in my book, a winning strategy.
When you “fake it till you make it,” you’re showing your brain an alternative scenario—one that involves you thinking, feeling, and/or acting differently.
If you practice thinking in new ways over time and really push through your comfort zone, you'll create new habits that become normal. You won't be held back by your negative talk any longer and you'll move forward with thoughts that really serve you, and achieve what you want in life.
@rachelshieff
It is very interesting point of view. I think in some point it might work, although I assume not in every situation it will be reasonable to use it. There is a very slight border between bravery and stupidity and while "fake it till you make it" may help in encouraging us to do something in a good way, in another situations it can cause some troubles.
If we want to start the new hobby or learn the new language but we have low self-esteem, it might help.
If we are afraid to juggle with the machetes, fake it till you make it wont help and most possibly we will end in the hospital :))
Thanks @papi.mati I totally agree with you on the machetes or anything that requires you being a bit of a dare devil.
Most of my clients get benefit from just taking on a Power Pose before doing something they are nervous about. Movement and posture alone can give you confidence.
What technique do you use to push through your comfort zone?