Confidence, a professional aura, and a good personality are all essential qualities that can help you succeed in life. In fact, these are all contributory factors that can enhance a person’s ability to achieve his dreams and ambitions.
Although hard work, dedication, and perseverance are often mentioned as the most common and fundamental virtues that make up a successful person, character also plays a major and undeniable role.
There is a truckload of self-help books and references that can show you how to work on your confidence and personality. While these may all seem very helpful and insightful, nothing comes close to practice and experience.
Indeed, you can learn theoretically from extensive studies and training. You can also equip yourself with all the knowledge essential to make you succeed in your chosen field.
However, you cannot become competitive if you are unable to present yourself with confidence and if you’re not equipped with the right character and personality.

Developing Self-Confidence
According to our mentor, Pierre Vincent; confidence comes from acknowledging the fact that in life, “personal growth never stops at any point unless you choose to confine yourself within your comfort zone”.
It is for this reason that he greatly encourages and promotes continuous learning and exploration in order to set foot on higher grounds, achieve more in life, and uncover bigger opportunities.
I believe that this had been his mission for himself ever since which accounted for his successful businesses and versatility as a person.
Pierre doesn’t believe that there is a specific threshold in one’s ability to learn and absorb information.
Thus, he encourages the future generation and young professionals to start developing their confidence the earliest time possible by way of finding their passion, studying and working hard, developing their talents, and acknowledging the fact that there is so much to learn from others.
He also believes that confidence comes from discovering our passions and interest and finding all means to pursue them to make a difference.
Being Aware of the Competition
As Pierre would say, there is no such thing as becoming an over-achiever; because the world we live in combined with constantly evolving technology and other resources offers a whole lot of opportunities for people.
Therefore, you cannot be too overly confident and comfortable with your natural and acquired skills and talents. Eventually, they can become obsolete and outdated amidst people who are more resourceful, ambitious, and innovative in trying to get ahead.
Still, you can always do something to stay relevant and competitive in this ever-changing world. And this is the only way to become confident in your chosen field.
How to Develop Confidence in a Competitive World According to Pierre Vincent:
1. Develop sense of awareness.
Being aware of the industry wherein you belong is important. In fact, you cannot get ahead of the competition by simply minding your own business. No amount of hard work will ever be enough unless you learn to acknowledge the presence of your competitors and unless you’re willing to embrace change and innovation.
In order to become relevant, you have to be aware of your competitors, their activities and strategies, and the current trends in marketing.
2. Learn how to practice the “art” of being confident.
They say that it helps to “fake it until you make it”. This refers to acting confident until you actually learn how to master the art. Acting confidently can be done by working on your posture and facial expressions, through power-dressing, and by speaking loudly and clearly.
Think about the things that boost your mood and make you feel good about yourself. It could be a nice physical appearance, the scent of your favorite perfume, or a sleek business suit.
Try to incorporate these elements together and put on the act. You’ll learn to overcome your insecurities over time as you become more comfortable about acting confident.
3. Work on your communication skills.
If you’re one of those people who feel anxious about having conversations with different people, Pierre suggests different methods that can help you overcome this dilemma. In fact, any conversation can be meaningful if you learn how to make the most out of it.
You can start with the basics like having conversations with people you know. You may also practice the art of communication when talking to random people you come across on a daily basis like baristas in a coffee shop, sales staff in department stores, waitresses, or your neighbors.
Modern technology now offers opportunities for socially awkward and shy individuals to develop confidence in interacting with other people through social chat lines. An example is by calling men social chat lines or female phone dating lines which allow you to practice your communication skills by talking to real people who can respond to you.
Constantly having conversations with strangers also gives you the chance to explore various topics which can be an enriching experience. This is far more effective in boosting confidence than practicing in front of a mirror.
4. Be Kind to Yourself.
Acknowledge your weaknesses and learn from your mistakes. Keep reminding yourself that everyone messes up at some point and nobody is totally spared from failures.
Your mistakes and failures are the elements that will keep you grounded, and they contribute significantly to your success.
In a study published by the Journal of Personality in 2009, it is stated that “self-compassion contributes to more consistent confidence.” Therefore, instead of beating yourself up and acting like a loser, try talking kindly to yourself like you would to a loyal friend.
Cut yourself some slack and learn from your mistakes. In time, you would realize that these temporary setbacks are necessary in order for you to come back stronger and better than before.
5. Acknowledge Self-Doubt.
Practice facing your uncertainties and fears that are rooted in a lack of self-confidence. If you’re afraid about the idea of messing up and possibly embarrassing yourself, do it anyway. However, learn to calculate the risks wisely.
This means making all the necessary preparations and doing your best. But don’t wait until you’re 100% confident because you might end up putting off what you can actually achieve now.
Acknowledging self-doubt can actually help you give your best performance. A study published by Psychology of Sport and Exercise in 2010, reveals that athletes who embrace and acknowledge their self-doubt outperformed those who were 100% confident about themselves.
This means that success is not entirely based on having full self-confidence; it can also come from embracing your fears.