Alright y’all… 7 Mindset Development Techniques to boost your confidence. Yeah I know, another self-help listicle, but hear me out — I’m literally sitting here in my messy apartment in [somewhere in the US], 10:47 pm, eating cold pizza because I finally feel brave enough to write this without deleting the whole thing seventeen times.
I used to be the guy who would rehearse ordering coffee in my head for five minutes. True story. My heart would legit pound like I was about to ask someone to prom when I just wanted a large iced oat milk latte. Pathetic? Maybe. Relatable? Hopefully.
But over the last couple years I’ve accidentally (and sometimes painfully) stumbled into a few 7 Mindset Development Techniques that legitimately helped me stop feeling like a walking imposter 24/7. So here are the 7 that actually moved the needle for me — super imperfect, very human, take-what-you-want-leave-the-rest style.
From Nervous to Confident: 10 Tips for Managing Meeting Anxiety
1. The “Embarrassment Exposure” Game (aka Stop Running From the Cringe)
I started doing this stupid thing where I deliberately did mildly embarrassing stuff on purpose. 7 Mindset Development Techniques Asked a stranger for the time even though my phone was in my hand. Sang badly in the car with windows down at a red light. Told the barista my name was “Batman” just to see what face they’d make.
2. Talk to Yourself Like You’re Your Own Drunk Best Friend
Most of us talk to ourselves like cruel middle-school bullies. I used to mutter “god you’re so stupid” every time I forgot something. but you’re MY disaster. We’ll figure it out, legend.”
It felt ridiculous. But it also felt… kinder? Over time I started using the drunk-best-friend voice more. Confidence crept up when the inner voice stopped being a jerk.
Try it. Next time you mess up, talk to yourself like you’d talk to your favorite messy friend at 2 a.m.
3. The Two-Minute “Power Pose” Lie
Yeah yeah, the Amy Cuddy power pose thing got dragged hard. But you know what? Standing in my bathroom with hands on hips like Wonder Woman for two minutes before a big Zoom call… it actually makes me feel slightly less like a fraud.
I don’t care if the testosterone study was debunked. The ritual matters. It’s placebo, sure. But placebos work when you believe they might.
So I still do it. Sue me.
4. Collect Tiny Wins Like Pokémon (and Actually Write Them Down)
I have a note on my phone called “Stupid Things I Survived.” Examples from last month:
- Spoke up in a meeting without my voice cracking
- Didn’t apologize for existing when someone bumped into ME
- Sent that risky DM without throwing up afterward
Every time I add one, I feel the confidence bank account grow a tiny bit. It’s cheesy. It works.
Didn’t apologize for existing when someone bumped into ME Just a calm, unbothered king/queen energy. No “sorry” reflex. Pure main character vibes.
This kind of quiet confidence hits different:
7 things genuinely confident people refuse to apologize for …
5. Stop Waiting to “Feel Ready” — Do It Scared
This is the hardest mindset development technique for me. I still wait to feel confident before I do scary stuff. Newsflash: the feeling never comes first.
I started posting my terrible first drafts on Twitter, voice cracking on TikTok, pitching ideas I was 40% sure would flop.
Every single time I did it scared, the next time got 8% easier. Confidence follows action. Not the other way around.
6. Reframe Rejection as Data, Not Death
Got ghosted after a great date? Data point: maybe they’re emotionally unavailable. Didn’t get the job? Data point: my resume needs stronger verbs or they wanted someone cheaper.
When I stopped treating rejection as proof I’m garbage, it stopped hurting as much. Now I literally shrug and go “okay, interesting” instead of spiraling for three days.
Huge confidence booster.
For more on this I love this short TED talk by Jia Jiang about 100 days of rejection — changed how I see “no.”
7. The Mirror “You’re Allowed” Exercise
Every morning (okay… most mornings… let’s not lie) I look in the mirror and say three things I’m allowed to be:
- I’m allowed to take up space
- I’m allowed to want things
- I’m allowed to not be perfect and still be worthy
Sounds corny? It is. But after a few weeks of saying it, something shifts. You start believing you’re allowed to exist without constant apology.
