Self-Confidence: The Remarkable Truth of How a Small Change Can Boost Your Resilience and Increase Your Success

I swim like a swan graceful on the surface but paddle like mad under the water. Hopefully this book will help me slow down under the water and be comfortable in everything I do. As usual Paul a common sense approach hence why I bought this 10 year anniversary edition.

This book examines how you can increase your self-confidence in different areas of your life. It is written in a very accessible and user-friendly way. I think it is very much aimed at people who have never read a self-help book before. It covers a lot of topics and ideas but it doesn't really go into any depth about any of them. The author will examine a well-known self-help technique but just devote a couple of pages to it which is really not enough information if you really want to make the best of that technique. Or a chapter will be devoted to a particular topic, such as dating, and it will be useful but someone who is having serious problems with relationships will need more in-depth advice. I think there are two groups of people who will benefit from this book. The first is people who are basically quite content but just need to boost their self-esteem. The second is people who are facing the fact that they need help for the first time but don't know where to start or what issue is causing them the most problems. This book could give them a better idea of what areas are causing them problems. I think this book will be less useful for people who have read self-help books before as they will already be familiar with a lot of these ideas. I also think if your issues are very much focused on one particular problem you may be better off looking for a book that is more specific.

I'm constantly admiring others who have self confidence and can explain their thoughts and realities with passion and unapologetically. I am very muchly an introvert who is really good with writing but when it comes to talking I clam up, blush and get flustered. I am worried about how people will take what I say and that I'm going to look stupid - so this book was a perfect thing to come my way.The book focuses on a lot of different aspects of self confidence. The beginning is very much surrounded by why it's important to have self confidence and develop it, and about grasping opportunities you might ordinarily decline because of confidence issues is doing yourself a disservice. The book sort of roots around increasing your self confidence by 10% - so nothing major or life changing - and then goes into delving into why you may have had a confidence hit, and how to confront those issues.Alongside other subject matters, there's a chapter on building resilience, which mentions being hit down with unexpected life issues like chronic illness - I have fibromyalgia so this was unexpectedly useful for me. I also really relate to the general notion of not beating yourself up, learning that it's normal to feel anxious and scared, it's about making decisions and living alongside these natural emotions which matters, and accepting your shortcomings. There are some general life skill lessons like preparing for job interviews and tips etc, but this book I feel is moreso getting to the point where you naturally grow in confidence, you don't take on tactics which help you - you actually become more confident by understanding yourself more.The writing style is really simple, split into well-thought out and evolving chapters and long bits of writing are arranged in a way that makes it easy to read. There are repeatable illustrations and format types throughout the book which makes you realise if the text is about somebody else's experience, or a quote etc. I found this really useful because sometimes with books like this they can feel like they drag on, so this helped me get through it without wanting to skip sections. I do however dislike books that use so many "people" experiences to back up beliefs, so based on my personal preference that's the only reason this book doesn't get top marks.All in all, I'd say the book is a good read. It's not a miracle worker as no book like this is, but I think it helps you realise where self confidence comes from and how you can get to being that 10% more self confident. It also wraps up nicely with saying if you get to that point where you are more comfortable in your own skin, why not use that to make a difference and help others. So the book is a really feel-good read from an author who genuinely seems to care about people and the world. So if you want a confidence boost and want to know how to get there, read this book, but if you're looking for ways to speak better in public without blushing - look elsewhere for more specific literature.

I have read a fairly similar book a few times over in my past which came with an accompanying CD and found it incredibly effective for when I needed a bit of an extra boost in my confidence due to changes in my role at work and having to manage more senior roles than I had previously and also to help with my public speaking to larger groups in a professional setting which was also increasing. I don;t have the same driver now but remembering how effective it had also been as a side-effect with how much more confident I felt in social situations and also with dealing with problems (or more typically problematic people!) I thought this would be a good read as a refresher and an update. And it has been just that - I've read this twice now over the past month or so and already can feel the difference it has made both in my general outlook (and especially with feeling generally more positive about problems or difficult situations) and once again with just how much more confident I am when talking to people, both in person (prior to our current lock-down and isolation) and on the phone, too. And again, especially when I am faced with confrontation or overly-confident/aggressive edged people.The bets thing about this book is the very effective and easy to follow journey it takes you on to achieve your confidence being placed in the right places for the right things - the set-up is graceful, smooth, non-jarring and avoiding fully any over-complicating things to ease you into the activation sections and the way it gently re-affirms everything along the way really helps everything stick. Don't be put off by thinking this will be a gruel or an arduous training book - it's so much easier and softer than that and I'd even bet a good portion of my bew-found/renewed confidence increase on the fact that you could read this quite halfheartedly whilst sunbathing in the garden and the right parts of your brain would take in the things that counted without you needing to focus too much at all and you would still have really good results.A rare occasion of not having to worry about saying something as wide as stating that anyone and everyone could benefit from reading this book - for the price versus the payback of what you get back it's a no-brainer in terms of recommending this fully. Really pleased to have come across it and will no-doubt read it again in the future as a refresher when needed.

Since I lost my Mum a couple of years ago. I’ve struggled with my self confidence and feel like a different person entirely, that’s a natural part of going through the grieving process, but I wasn’t expecting it to such an adverse impact on my self confidence and resilience, particularly at work. So this Paul McGee book has come at the right time to help me to look at things from a wider perspective, instead of always being in an internal narrative.It’s really accessible to read, very engaging language with straight-forward thinking, examples and advice, set out in easy to read chunks, so you can dip in and out if you can’t concentrate for long periods of reading. It’s very insightful and applicable, you’ll recognise the situations and dilemmas in an instant - I certainly did.For me, I’m keeping this on my desk at work after now reading through, so I can give myself a reality check when I need it and find some sensible real world advice and guidance. I’m using this to support better mental health and well-being at work and highly recommend it to you and will be recommending to my team.If you have found my review helpful at all, it would be great if you could click the 'Helpful' button below, thank you!