Self-confidence isn’t something that everyone’s born with. Even those extroverted Leo-types – while they may seem bubbly, self-assured, and overconfident at times – can actually have lower confidence and self-esteem than they may let on. Especially in this digital age of social media and the desire for instant success, many of us find ourselves comparing our own lives and timelines to those whose lives seem perfectly put together.

Luckily, self-confidence is something that you can learn to have more of. It just requires time, energy, and attention. To help us with expert tips on building self-confidence and becoming more aligned with your most authentic self, we’ve chatted with Sam Jones. 

Jones is a life coach who has helped professionals, business owners, leaders, and public figures build a better, happier, more fulfilled life from the inside out. And he’s now here to give you some guidance as well with these top 10 tips for building more self-confidence.

1. Confidence is a Skill

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It’s true that some of us naturally have more confidence than others, with some findings suggesting the correlation between genes and confidence could be as high as 50%. “Similar to a video game character who might have ‘more strength’ or ‘more speed,’ our confidence levels are determined by a mixture of who you are innately and through your life experiences,” Jones says. 

But what science has also found is that our brains are highly adaptable (more so than previously thought), thanks to continued research in the field of neuroplasticity. This means that no matter what your baseline of confidence is, you can grow more confident. It’s a skill that can be learned. “The first thing men need to understand is that everyone can build their self-confidence, no matter how you currently feel.” All it takes is determination, the right work, and following the rest of these tips.