25 Great Tips to Defeat Poor Confidence in Struggling Actors

Bollywood actors-confidence and lack of it

Single great tip for developing confidence

• When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things.
• Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
• You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience of life. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived and passed through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along, successfully.'
• Confidence comes from discipline and training.

Role of Confidence in Acting 

Acting is a constant exercise in uncovering what lives within you, the good and the bad, and to fearlessly expose what most people would rather hide.

1. To be a great actor, you must be willing to step into the unknown, with honesty.
2. Trust is the most important quality an artist can possess. Especially, trusting your own self! When you trust, you naturally relax and enjoy the process. When you focus on the love of the work, you open up your heart and find your creativity in I, you are an active participant rather than an observer. You begin to welcome any criticism. When you go by your heart and soul into the acting craft;  when you know you are doing the work that all great actors do… you strengthen a believe in yourself that no one can take away.
3. The amazing thing is, it isn’t confidence that gets in your way, it’s actually fear! You can work through the fear and transform it into positive energy. Your confidence comes from doing the work, the way you like, unmindful of others, over and over again. That’s how people build their confidence in acting class, in auditions and on a set through completing scenes and learning how to get better “at script and character analysis.”
4. Confidence is effectively interpreting a script and from that assessment executing strong choices. If you know your craft, no one can deny your skill and that exhibits great self-belief that you have something grand to contribute, simply because you really, really actually do.

One of the greatest enemy of an actor (for that reason, anybody)

 “a poor image of yourself in your own eyes and mind”

Here are some of the examples of “Killing An Actor” perceptions

• I’m not comfortable in crowd, strangers and with opposite sex. I get withdrawn.
• I’m introvert and shy
• I can’t converse in English fluently. I have speech and voice problems.
• I’m not good looking. My physique is poor.
• I get tense and nervous
• I can’t memorize even small sentences.
• I can’t give up smoking and alcohol
• I have a poor determination

How Actors should Build Self Confidence

Analysis:

HIGH SELF CONFIDENCE

1.  Doing what you believe is right. Not bothered what others think

2.  Willing to take risks

3.  Admitting your mistakes and learning from them

4.  Accepting complaints graciously

LOW SELF CONFIDENCE

1.  Your views are based on what other people think

2.  Staying in your comfort zone

3.  Cover up your mistakes

4.  Dismissing your mistakes

Mental fitness is like physical fitness. It's like a muscle. More you work on more it develops.  You develop high levels of self-regard and a positive attitude with training and practice.

1. To start with, do a SWOT Analysis of your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and write down on a table. 
2. Work Hard on: A- Further strengthening your strengths; B. On overcoming your weaknesses and turning them into your + points; C. Develop a strategy to avoid threats, which means working hard on alternate options and solutions. Probably threats are due to some of your weaknesses; D. Always think of opportunities you have and benefits you will have if you exploit opportunities!
3. Work Hard: On developing your skills, excellence and knowledge. Join a coach, a school and attend workshop regularly.
4. Set Time bound Goals: ie  in 2 years, 1 year, 6 months, This and next month. Then prepare an action plan starting from achievement of long term objectives narrowing it down to the current month. Then work on schedules ie weekly, daily and so on.
5. Only think of positives.
6. Always think of good things.
7. Ask others what you can do for them. Don't expect too much and always from others.
8. Join Yoga, Gym, Dancing and music classes. These activities will help you to develop a positive and cheerful mind apart from adding in your acting craft.
9. Attend shows, theater, music shows and events.
10. Do what interests you.
11. Identify your successes since childhood, even small ones. Recollect them offer and smile.
12. Don't worry about outcome of your efforts: For example, go for an audition as an event to enjoy and as a part of your training. Do your best, come out and celebrate your effort with a cup of tea or a drink either with your friends or alone, thinking good and smiling. In other word- CELEBRATE every small effort, not only a an achievement!
13.  Be aggressive:  A. develop a habit of "Barging in"; B. Meet strangers; Talk and interact with everybody. However, while talking, always talk what others may like; C. Tell a person without hesitation if he/she offends or negates you. Be frank. Don't worry about outcome!
14. STOP your wandering mind by saying "stop" or count backward from 10 to 1. Focus and concentrate
15. Start writing down a day's activities before you go to bed. What you have achieved and what you couldn't.
16. Develop a habit of "Smiling" most of the time. Try this forceably and consequently, it will become your habit.
17. Talk loudly. The world doesn't accept soft spoken people. They are considered as "Timid"
18. Make decisions every day and follow irrespective of consequences.
19. Always think of bright future ahead you
20. Learn to accept "You are wrong"
21. Mind your body language. To be confident walk and talk confidently even if you are shitting in your pants! After all, you are an actor. Just fake it!
22. Don't compare yourself with others
23. Try new things- dresses, games, friends, hobbies, exotic foods, traveling, places, camping, hiking, birding, nature etc.
24. Analyse good and successful people
25. Learn to say "NO". Don't compromise with "YES" 

Positive mental food for actors:

• Just as your body is healthy to the degree to which you eat healthy, nutritious foods, your mind is healthy to the degree to which you feed it with “mental protein” rather than “mental candy.”
• Read books, magazines, and articles that are educational, inspirational, or motivational. Feed your mind with information and ideas that are uplifting and that make you feel happy and more confident about yourself and your world.
• Listen to positive, constructive CDs and audio programs  on your MP3 player, Mobile or iPod. Feed your mind continually with positive messages that help you think and act better and make you more capable and competent in your field.
• Watch positive and educational DVDs, educational television programs, online courses, and other uplifting material that increases your knowledge and makes you feel good about yourself and your life.

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