If you had all the creative self-confidence in the world, what would you do? As creative entrepreneurs, we face a lot of obstacles, including confidence in our creative abilities.
Unfortunately, when it comes to mindset as creative entrepreneurs, we sometimes do things that limit our growth. Self-doubt, negative self-talk, and fear are some of the obstacles that block our path.
Well, I don’t know about you, but I say, ‘Enough already.’
Whether you run a full-time or part-time creative business or write, paint, blog, make music or videos, we don’t have time to let self-doubt, negative thoughts, or fear hold us back from reaching our goals.
To help me stay on track, I rely on Isaiah 41:10:
Don’t worry—I am with you. Don’t be afraid—I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will support you with my right hand that brings victory.
In today’s post, I’m sharing five daily habits to help boost your creative confidence.
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase using the links.
What is a habit?
A habit is a learned behavior that becomes automatic over time. A specific setting often triggers the behavior. For example, you may automatically brush your teeth before going to bed as part of your nighttime routine.
Habits can be healthy, unhealthy, or neutral. For example, a healthy habit might be stretching for ten minutes a day or writing in your journal at the end of the day. An unhealthy habit could be biting your fingernails or texting while driving. An example of a neutral habit would be eating the same things for breakfast every morning or taking the same route to work every day.
How to break a habit?
To break a habit, especially an unhealthy habit affecting creative self-confidence, it’s important to:
- First, pay attention to the triggers that feed into the bad habit.
- Then, replace the unhealthy habit with a positive one.
- Finally, get help from friends, family, and other professionals as needed.
5 Daily habits to help boost creative confidence
Start the day with a journal
At the start of my day, I like to write in my journal or idea notebook. This has helped clear my mind before I start working on my client assignments. I like to write for at least 30 minutes. If you don’t have much time, write a few sentences. Carry your journal or notebook with you throughout the day. If you need a break or if new ideas come to mind that you don’t want to forget, write them down.
Set daily goals
Every day I like to write down the three most important tasks for the day in my productivity notebook. Each task is associated with one of my goals. When you set a goal, it’s important to review your plan for achieving that dream. You may find yourself forgetting about what was most important because life gets busy, and new things are always coming up. Setting aside time every day can help remind us of our dreams, so we don’t lose focus or motivation when faced with challenges along the way. Once I accomplish my three most important tasks for the day, I feel inspired to keep moving forward.
Use time-blocking to manage your daily schedule
Nothing kills your confidence like losing track of time. Have you ever sat down to work but had no idea where to start? I have, and it can be frustrating. However, I save a lot of mental energy by planning out what I need to work on ahead of time. I like this technique called “time blocking.” Time block everything on your list and see how much progress (in hours) might happen during each specific timeframe; don’t forget about any important deadlines or events either–they need attention too. Through time-blocking, I feel confident and in control of my day.
Set phone boundaries
Do you ever find yourself checking your phone every few minutes? While working on my second book, I fell into the habit of constantly checking my phone. I was checking email, answering text messages, or reading my USA Today app. Before I knew it, my focus and flow were shot. To get back on track to finish the book, I started to limit the time I spent on my phone by setting boundaries. First, I only looked at my emails at scheduled times throughout the day. Next, I dedicated one-hour time blocks to work on projects before taking a break. Finally, I put my phone in a separate room during work hours.
Finish the day with a review
As part of my evening routine, I review the day and plan for tomorrow using a notebook. This 5-minute process helps me to prepare for what’s ahead in an organized manner. After reviewing what I accomplished and understanding what needs to be done, I feel productive and more confident to start again the next day.
As creative entrepreneurs, it’s easy to lose confidence from time to time. But trust the process. Establish a few habits that work for you and help you stay on track. Give yourself permission to learn, make mistakes, and try again. You never know whose life your work with touch. Build your confidence day by day, and keep moving forward.
Updated October 2021
