Wondering Why Some Women Seem so Effortlessly Confident? We Uncovered 23 of Their Best-Kept Secrets

Even when you’re feeling a little wobbly, use your body language to convey the opposite—stand up straight, hold your head high, ground yourself and just look the part.

In his book Springboard: Launching Your Personal Search for Success , G. Richard Shell notes that Olympic athletes train in a way that accumulates small wins and slowly builds confidence in their abilities. Smart women can similarly use this technique to boost confidence over time by setting small but achievable goals—then build on those successes.

Surrounding yourself with positive people can boost your self-esteem, and in turn your self-confidence. You will feel empowered around like-minded people.

Mindfulness is an activity in which you “purposely live in the moment and experience that moment with all your senses.” When you’re present and in the moment, you will naturally exude confidence.

Confident women don’t care about labels or logos, but create their own style and aesthetic, says Eileen Scully , founder of The Rising Tides  and author of In the Company of Men . Scully focuses on advancing women in the workplace through her work and as an international keynote speaker.

Being passionate about a subject will increase your confidence. You can’t be passionate and weak—the two don’t go together.

Just being happy and enjoying your life builds self-esteem and self-worth.

It’s very empowering and exciting to try out the unknown. Once you’ve done so many things, you will feel more confident and can discuss them from experience.

Put yourself in charge. You should take charge and not let other people make your decisions for you in both your professional and personal lives.

Taking risks is part of being confident. As Adele says , “Be brave and fearless to know that even if you do make a wrong decision, you’re making it for good reason.” Facing your fears is a research-backed way to boost your self-confidence.

Saying no can sometimes be even harder than saying yes. But the ability to create boundaries will make you feel proud, especially if you’re good at holding the line.

Confident women are always lifting up other women. Helping others achieve their dream shows you’re empowered.

Confident women raise daughters who make their own decisions, make their own money and make their own mistakes. Know the habits and signs of confident girls, and help instill them in your daughters from birth—and particularly after puberty .

Confident women can walk into any room alone and walk out with several new acquaintances.

Just as you should surround yourself with other confident women and positive people, Scully notes that confident women are not brought down by others. Confident women know when to walk away from people who bring them down, without apologizing.

Confident women raise daughters who make their own decisions, make their own money and make their own mistakes, says Scully. Know the habits and signs of confident girls, and help instill them in your daughters from birth—and particularly after puberty .

Define yourself by your own assessment of your worth and work—don’t allow others to define it for you.

Define yourself by your own assessment of your worth and work—don’t allow others to define it for you.

Admit when you don’t know something, so you can learn and grow. You can’t truly take a learner’s approach to the world until you are willing to admit where you lack knowledge and fill in the gaps.