Life is full of pitfalls. Our self-doubts and beliefs cause many of these stumbling blocks. As the late poet Sylvia Plath once remarked, “The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” Self-doubt is part of being human, but so is resilience. You can’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game time and time again.

Many of our everyday patterns and habits slowly erode our self-esteem. Fortunately, you can still grow in confidence and maintain positive self-regard. To help the worries fade away, here are a few killer ways to boost your self-confidence.

Stand at the Edge of Your Comfort Zone

Stretching before a workout isn’t so comfortable. Nevertheless, many of us do it anyway. With the right amount of energy, the action keeps our muscles strong, healthy, and flexible. We need that flexibility to increase our range of motion and enhance our performance during physical activities.

Think of stretching your comfort zone similarly. Standing at the edge of your safe place is one of the killer ways to boost your self-confidence. You must stretch your limits to gain a more comfortable range of motion and diminish doubt. The fear of failure is something everyone faces to some degree. But confidence begins at the fringe of it all by not giving up and facing new situations head-on.

Care About Your Appearance

Now, looks aren’t everything. But we know appearance has a significant effect on our confidence in the modern era. Attractiveness is a complicated concept because beauty is a physical and psychological experience. Beauty and self-esteem have roots in several different qualities: the genetics of how we look, how we feel about how we look (self-regard), and how we take care of ourselves (health and grooming-wise).

Consider how you feel about your appearance. Do you feel the best about yourself when you take care of yourself? Investing time into yourself is the key to self-confidence. Take a nice, warm bath. Eat healthy and clean and stay hydrated. Head to the salon to try out an assortment of colors or types of hair extensions. Handpick your skin-care products carefully. The idea isn’t to complete a 360-degree makeover. Rather, walk confidently and put your best foot forward.

Maintain a Student’s Mentality

You know the school of life never ends, right? Continue to think of yourself as a lifelong learner even after you graduate or move into differing career paths. You’re still learning, even when you feel stuck. This approach is about maintaining a “beginner’s mind,” meaning one that’s always eager and willing to do new things. Be open to asking questions and trying to understand the answers. Build confidence in the worth of your creative ideas and reflect on experiences. The more you know, the more you can grow.