Today is International Women’s Day… fitting, since it’s my Women’s Wellness Wednesday!

According to the IWD website, this day provides an important opportunity for groundbreaking action that can truly drive greater change for women. One of the key focuses is gender parity. The World Economic Forum predicts the gender gap won’t close entirely until 2186. That’s too long!

This year’s IWD theme is #BeBoldForChange. But, too often, we (men and women) do not own the act of being bold, whether in our personal or professional lives. Lack of confidence is rampant.

It’s time to turn that trend upside down.

Pam Borton, former NCAA Coach and now an Executive Coach, recently chatted with Which Way Is Life host, Bill Klaproth, to share how you can get and keep confidence.

Pam had plenty of experience in building up confidence in the young women she coached all those years. One of her “ah-ha” moments came when she realized it was much more productive to focus on her players’ strengths and what they could do, rather than what they couldn’t.

You can do the same. Think about what you do well and what you like about yourself. Understand what your capabilities are. Write them down. Buy into them; embrace them. You’re not going to be good at every single thing, but you’re capable of being GREAT at many things.

Many people who suffer from a lack of confidence are plagued by self-doubt, being afraid to fail, negative self-talk and even internal bullying. They’re also likely to be perfectionists, terrified of making mistakes.

Guess what? You can only grow and better yourself if you’re not afraid to take risks.

Another essential factor is preparation. Pam says that preparation + routine = confidence. Practice, practice, practice. Take lessons from elite athletes. They work hard at success every day.

Finally, instill confidence in our younger generation by actively celebrating what they do well. This doesn’t mean handing out “participation awards” to praise them. Verbal encouragement and a simple high-five or fist bump can be incredibly supportive.

This was a particularly special episode for me, being from Minnesota and having enjoyed watching Pam coach the U of M women’s team. She offers some great advice, so I hope you’ll take a listen.