June/July 2026 Aspire Magazine | Page 37

What is it for you? What fills your cup and gives you energy? I’ d also like to point out the word“ practice” is crucial here, because self-care is ongoing, and practice is how we get better at just about anything.

I pass them on with a word of caution, though. Being prepared is great, but overpreparing will chip away at your confidence. Having a plan helps, but being overly attached to the plan will become problematic. And for the love of all things holy, practice, but keep in mind that the point of practicing is to do the thing. In all three cases, these Ps should lead to action.

Nervous to ask for that promotion? Prepare your talking points, plan for possible questions or objections, and practice what you’ re going to say. Just remember, in order for it to be confidence building, you actually need to go ask for that promotion!

You’ re the only person responsible for building your confidence. You are the creator, the decider, and the giver.

When you build confidence, the benefits will impact every area of your life— your career, your family, your relationships, and even your hobbies. You’ ll enjoy more peace and freedom instead of beating yourself up. You’ ll make better decisions. You’ ll take risks. You’ ll chase bigger dreams. When your confidence is in your pocket, you’ ll know that validation is really best used for parking.

WISDOM & SELF-GROWTH

Nicole Kalil- Nicole Kalil is an in-demand speaker, author of Validation is For Parking, respected coach, and host of the top 1 % globally downloaded podcast“ This Is Woman’ s Work”, her stalkerlike obsession with confidence sets her apart from the constant stream of experts telling us to BE confident. She actually shares HOW you build it, and gives actionable tools you can implement immediately. To learn more, visit nicolekalil. com.