Go for the Bold: Cultivate Confidence

Get Gorgeous

You know that to-do list you've got taped to the fridge -- the one about cleaning out the garage and buying new fabric softener? What if this month you vowed to shake up your life instead? Here's a you-can-do-it list of personal challenges, each requiring a varying degree of daring and all designed to change the way you think about who you are and what you're capable of achieving.

This life-altering process is deceptively simple. First take a mini challenge (worth one or two "Confidence Points") that doesn't take you too far out of your comfort zone. Your success with that small step will inspire you to something riskier and more rewarding. Try to rack up at least 15 points by the end of the month. You'll be amazed how ready you are to conquer the world -- or at least your own little corner of it.

Are you really ready to make a change? Sign up for our 8-week "You Can Do It" makeover plan, and we'll e-mail you easy-to-follow guides every week to help you Cultivate Your Confidence!

Rework your wardrobe. Slip out of your uniform of jeans and V-neck sweaters by making an appointment with a personal shopper at your favorite department store (the service is usually free). She'll help you find gorgeous new looks to boost your body confidence, and you'll feel like a movie star browsing the racks with a personal stylist.

Get taller without the teeter. Wedges and chunkier-heeled platforms have the check-me-out-sexiness and height of stilettos without the wobbly walk and fear factor of a broken ankle. Plus, those extra couple of inches will help you see the world from a powerful new vantage point.

Brighten up. Toss out the blah shade of lipstick you've been using since college and sample a zingy new hue. Dark lips are hot this fall; try M.A.C's Lip Varnish in Autobody Red ($14), and put some pizzazz in your pout.

Give yourself a lift. Who needs plastic surgery? Skip the knife and go into one of those old-fashioned bra stores. Yes, it's likely an 80-year-old woman with a tape measure will feel you up, but you'll walk out looking perkier than ever and ready for anything or anyone.