by Janine Fitzpatrick How confident are you? Are you assured in every circumstance? Or do you second-guess yourself regularly? Quiver at the thought of the unfamiliar?

No matter how talented or skilled you may be a lack of confidence can inhibit your capacity for success.

Michelle Landy is a personal coach, university lecturer and presenter and she's written a book that might just help those of us who under-estimate our capability. The Confidence Workout takes you through 17 steps to help you feel more confident at work and in your life.

Landy succinctly outlines some of the obstacles which limit our ability to believe in ourselves such as the inner voice of criticism, the fear of failure, the negative nellies surrounding us. Most importantly though she outlines simple strategies to overcome these obstacles.

Each "workout" gives you an element to focus on in building your confidence. Instructions like "keep your own word" reminds us how important it is to set realistic goals.

"Not doing what you say may seem inconsequential, but it isn't. It will silently erode your confidence".

Setting progress markers in your attempts to introduce new skills will help you to remember just how much you have managed to achieve.

"Having a sense of progress nourishes our confidence. In turn, this motivates us to keep going".

Using real-life examples this book gives a clear guide on how to bring up your confidence levels. It sets you very easy tasks that help to improve your self-esteem and it offered some "ahaa" moments that may be blindingly obvious but are easy to forget in the hustle and bustle of modern life.

"The easiest way to keep our confidence alive is to do our pursuits in a regular rhythm, without large breaks in time. Breaks in time disconnect us from our flow and from our self-belief".

The Confidence Workout is a handy resource which provides a step-by-step outline to helping you face the world with a new air of determination.

CWC readers can get 30% off Michelle's book at her online store! Enter code promo37 at checkout to redeem your discount.

Janine Fitzpatrick blogs at  Shambolic Living where readers get to feel far happier about their lives when they experience the chaos of hers. She is coming to terms with being the mother of two teenagers, has given up on the dream of a tidy house and still plans to write a book one day.