Amateur and professional poker players alike will agree that confidence is one of the key skills needed for success at the poker table. For some, confidence may come naturally and easily, for others the projecting confidence can be seemingly impossible. But it is not impossible for anyone to display the confidence of the chip leader in a World Series of Poker event. Here is the POKERprimaDIVAS guide to a more confident life.
- The first step to being confident is looking confident. We’re not saying that your outward appearance is more important than your personality, but it is important. Your physical appearance is often the basis of a first impression, and we all know first impressions can mean everything. Keep your head up and make eye contact. Wear something you feel comfortable in. You can look it, even if you don’t feel it. Perception is everything.
- Acknowledge your accomplishments. In a 24/7 world, it may seem like you are always falling behind on this project, or not making that deadline. All these negative experiences in your professional and personal life can overshadow your accomplishments. Take time each day to remind yourself of what you have checked off that to do list, you’ll feel more confident in your work ethic each day as you see how much you actually get done!
- Surround yourself with a support system, not critics. It’s an all too common scenario, a friend that is maybe a little more blunt and truthful than you would like. Having a friend or a partner that constantly puts you down can seriously damage how confident you feel. Surround yourself with people who support your goals and ambitions, and will motivate you to succeed.
- Compliment yourself. Sometimes it’s okay to project your own bravado, men do it all the time! Acceptance of your own self-image, inside and out, is essential to natural confidence. You’re terrific and don’t forget it!
- Push yourself, but enjoy the small successes. It’s important to go beyond your comfort zone in your career and personal life. Challenging yourself with bold, long-term goals is important, but also build-in some short-term milestones, so you can feel a sense of confidence from your success. Setting yourself up for success will help maintain your confidence even though stressful periods of your career and life.
Confidence will not only improve your poker game, but every facet of your personal and professional life. Confidence in your career shows your co-workers and colleagues your competence and ability to perform, as well as your willingness to work hard. In your personal life, confidence will help you avoid being taken advantage of, while radiating self-assurance in all your decisions. Whether you are betting all-in with a pair of two’s or speaking in front of your entire company, confidence can help you calmly, collectively, and rationally approach nearly any of life’s many challenging situations.
