Confidence.

It’s a quality we all strive for. It’s a character trait lauded above so many others, especially in today’s collective embrace of strong and powerful women.

And yet, confidence can be a polarizing quality. People who are over-confident are “cocky. Women who are “too confident” are labeled, “bossy.” And those who show the slightest lapse of confidence are “weak.”

Demi Lovato had it right: “What’s wrong with being, what’s wrong with being, what’s wrong with being confident? (Whoaaa)”

Why is Confidence Important?

All jokes aside, we are humongous advocates of self-confidence here at P&P.

Because, when you think about it, confidence is the root of ALL success.

You’re probably heard the phrase, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” And the key word here is “think.”

Everything we do, everything we feel, everything we think starts in the same place: our mind. And this is where confidence is created and nurtured as well: within our minds.

Our mind is our strongest weapon. It is the muscle that allows us to learn, grow, and believe the very best about ourselves.

But it can also be our biggest enemy.

The brain is funny that way. If you tell yourself something enough times, or if you get told something enough times, you will eventually believe it to be true. (Unfortunately this works with negative talk just as well as it does with positive talk… but we’ll talk about that in a little while). The good news is, it’s just as easy to believe you’re awesome, capable, confident, deserving, AMAZING as it is to believe you’re not.

It’s all a matter of what you choose to believe. That’s why we decided to create the #35DaysofConfidence Challenge.

What Is the #35DaysofConfidence Challenge?

Yes, the #35DaysofConfidence Challenge! (Hash-tagged because of COURSE it is). Simply put: this a challenge in habit-building for women looking to boost their confidence. It can be done at ANY time. You just need to be able to dedicate 5 minutes/day for 35 days to the work.

Why 35 days? Well, according to many experts in the field, the average length of time it takes for humans to create & retain a habit is 30 days. Some people argue closer to 60 days, or even as short as 21 days, but on average, one month is a specific, measurable amount of time in which to build a new habit (or kick an existing one). So, we tacked a few bonus days on and called it “35 Days.”

Plus, in this challenge, we build on 5 specific pillars of confidence, each so important, and deep dive their various components over 7 days. (5 x 7 = 35… easy!)

These 5 pillars of confidence are:

1. Self-Reflection
2. Positive Attitude
3. Self-Improvement
4. The Physical Body
5. Action

Each week, we’ll focus on one of these pillars of confidence, with each day of the week dedicated to a component of that pillar. We’ll share an inspirational quote and component overview for you to ponder on, and most importantly: task you with a specific action item to complete that day to reflect on. Hence the “challenge” piece of #35DaysofConfidence. That’s right ladies, this “challenge” requires some participation! You don’t just get to sit back and think.

Because the truth is: Thinking is nice, but thinking is just thinking. If you want change to happen, you have to take action. So that’s why each day, we ask you to take a very specific, very doable action. In most cases, it will be an exercise that you can complete in a few minutes, but in some cases, it will be a week-long habit-building activity.

The only way to change is to do it consistently, so that’s why habits are a key part of confidence-building. They are a reliable way to make once new behaviors become second nature, and change your life for the better, one day at a time.

In Conclusion…

Remember:

Your confidence levels and the way you feel about yourself is entirely up to you. It’s not up to your mom, your dad, your spouse, your significant others, your best friends, your worst enemies, your coworkers, your cast mates, your boss, your director, or ANYONE else!

It’s nice, but not necessary to receive external validation.

You deserve to be the leading lady (or man) of your own life. Which means that you (and no one else) is responsible for becoming your biggest cheerleader. It’s helpful to have others in your corner, but nothing will skyrocket your confidence or self-worth more than believing that you, yourself, are truly awesome.

Believing in yourself is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Let’s get you started on that path TODAY with #35DaysofConfidence!