[caption id=“attachment_1930” align=“aligncenter” width=“1024”] These buffalo seem pretty confident. They must have read this article. Photograph 027 by Lauren Mancke found on minimography.com[/caption]I’ll cut to the chase: There are many, many articles out there about becoming more confident, and most of them contain good advice you’ve heard a thousand times before.

Below, please find three unconventional tips for building confidence. If you’ve only got a few seconds, skip to #3.

[caption id=“attachment_1913” align=“aligncenter” width=“1024”] photo by Rachel Bostwick[/caption]Disclaimer: I don’t normally write about politics, but I’m making a rare exception because it was one of the most requested topics on my 2017 Reader Survey (which you can still fill out, by the way!). Don’t worry, though: I only have enough to say about politics for one article.

Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

— Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

[caption id=“attachment_1906” align=“aligncenter” width=“1024”] Photograph 042 by Lauren Mancke found on minimography.com[/caption] Your fear would like you to sit down.

Fit in. Play it safe. Keep quiet. Be predictable. Preserve what you’ve got.

Fear has a hand in nearly all of our decision-making, but its influence is subtle. Try as we may to make rational, well-considered decisions, we’re biological creatures. We cannot completely eradicate fear. The best we can hope to do is account for it, but even this is no small feat.

[caption id=“attachment_1880” align=“aligncenter” width=“1024”] Photograph 022 by Katie Purnell found on minimography.com[/caption] I’ll keep this brief: abstract concepts and general advice are all well and good, but sometimes you just need a few concrete tips. And look at that! I happen to have some right here.

Here are seven things you can do this very minute to take control of your time.

1. Put your phone in its place

Your phone may be the most useful tool you own, but its goals are not entirely aligned with yours.

[caption id=“attachment_1868” align=“aligncenter” width=“1024”] photo by Pexels[/caption] If you’re reading this blog, you probably have more interests than the average bear. And if you’re anything like me, you probably struggle to make time for all these interests.

It’s tough, right? Working full-time and maintaining 1-2 hobbies is pretty doable for most people. But what if you have 5-6 interests you’d like to pursue?

Or 10?

Or 15?