Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if you were a little bit bolder? Maybe you would have asked out that person you had a crush on. Maybe you would have fought harder for that raise or promotion at work. Maybe you would have simply stood up for yourself when your neighbor started accusing you of wrongdoing.

Boldness is a somewhat vague quality, so let’s define it. Boldness means being willing to act, rather than preferring inaction or procrastination. It often means acting with courage or confidence, rather than uncertainty.

So why is this so beneficial and how can you work to become bolder?

The Benefits of Boldness

Bold people tend to enjoy these benefits:

♦  They get what they want more often. Bold people are willing to ask for what they want, rather than simply assuming they won’t get it. Even if only 25 percent of their requests are met, they’re still getting more than their counterparts. Think of it this way: a bold person asks for a raise every year, and a less bold person almost never asks for a raise. Even if the bold person’s requests are only met every other year, they’ll still end up far ahead of their peer.

♦  They’re more memorable and more respected. Think of some of the most memorable and fascinating people you’ve encountered in your life. They were likely the most outgoing, and the most unafraid of social consequences. That’s because bold people tend to command more respect and get noticed more often. This can help you network with more people, find more career opportunities, and even build better relationships.

♦  They don’t suffer from “what ifs” and regrets. People are typically more likely to regret something they didn’t do than something they did. Bold people therefore suffer fewer and less severe regrets overall; they might be disappointed in the outcome of a decision they made, but that’s far better than wondering what would have been.

Becoming Bolder

Now for the hard part: How can you become bolder in your everyday life?

♦  Dress differently. One of the easiest things you can do is start dressing differently. Wear the best-quality clothes you can afford, and make sure they fit. You can also invest in a handful of ostentatious or bold accessories, like custom gold grillz. Dressing and looking your best will make you feel more confident, giving you more energy you can work with on a regular basis. And those flashy pieces of jewelry can help you attract more attention—and make you feel and look bolder simultaneously.

♦  Work out and eat right. Though it’s going to take longer to develop, it’s also in your best interest to start eating healthier and working out on a regular basis. Whatever your ideal body type is (so long as it’s healthy), that should be your ultimate goal. If you think lean and slim is attractive, shoot for that. If you think being big and muscular is superior, try to add mass. The goal here is to feel better about how you look—to feel powerful and attractive in your own skin. If you can do this, every decision you make will be bolder, and you’ll carry out everything in your life with more confidence.

♦  Pretend you’re already bold. The “fake it ‘til you make it” strategy applies here. If you simply pretend that you’re already bold, you’ll gradually start making bolder decisions. Repeat to yourself that you are bold, and commit to integrating that characteristic into your personality. It’s not something you have to become—it’s something you already are.

♦  Get used to rejection. Most people are inhibited only because they’re afraid of rejection. They refuse to ask for what they want, or they avoid some subjects entirely. However, rejection means less and less the more you face it and accept it as a natural part of life. Accordingly, you can intentionally expose yourself to more rejection in every area of your life. Eventually, rejection won’t mean much to you, and you’ll be unafraid to assert yourself and ask for what you want.

♦  Experiment with people you’ll never see again. If you’re feeling unsure of yourself, try to surround yourself with people you’ll never see again—like people in a new city—and experiment with them. Eventually, you’ll find your footing, and you’ll be able to incorporate more boldness into your normal life.

It takes a lot of work and a lot of patience to make yourself bolder, but it’s generally worth the effort. You may never be able to fully change your personality (nor would you want to), but a little extra boldness can make a dramatic difference in your life.

Shift Frequency © 2019 – How to Be Bolder
(and Why You Should Be)