Working Through Confidence and Self-Belief

For many people on their most difficult days, it is not the world stating that ‘you are incapable’, it is the voice within your own self that leads to the problem. It all starts with a small failure that births a negative thought and then with every unpleasant experience, it gets moulded into a firm belief. A belief whose existence can very often lie in a singular failure or a series of failures. Life is a bumpy road and nobody has it all figured out; it is important to realize that failure is something that comes to each person as learning in disguise. So, embrace them just like you would embrace your victories.

Effects of low confidence and self-belief
When you are not confident, you spend extensive amount of time second-guessing yourself. It takes away the ability to have open communication, express feelings and thoughts in both professional and personal settings, take feedback positively, interact in social gatherings, form relationships, etc. Also, it is one of the major reasons for stress and anxiety. Therefore, it is important to indulge in self-work when there’s a lack of confidence since it interferes with day-to-day activities without an individual even realizing it.

Ways by which you can gain confidence:

Self-positive talk and affirmations – Self-talk is one of the most powerful tools of belief formation. It is important to remind yourself of all your achievements and let them replace your negative self-talk. It makes you feel empowered. So, in those moments of stress and strain, attempt to appreciate the qualities you possess and make them your strengths.

Don’t take failures personally – Failure is a great teacher and it helps master the important life lessons. Every individual fails at some point or the other but what you must acknowledge about it is the capability it brings to improve. Even the best of orators once stood speechless on the stage, so, wish for victories but don’t run away from the failures.

Avoid comparisons – Everyone is unique in their ways so there is no point in comparing yourself to others. The only person you should compare yourself with is you by reflecting on how you are honing and developing your skills and abilities. Comparison not only makes you lose your confidence but also makes you unappreciative of your own skills.

Set goals for yourself – If you believe that there is any room for improvement, engage in it and set regular goals for yourself. These goals should be regularly monitored and every time you achieve a goal do not forget to congratulate yourself. This will help you improve and give you a sense of achievement, maintaining your self-belief.

Practice is important – When people practice, they move towards removing the scope for errors. Knowing that you have worked towards the removal of errors to the best that you can, it ceases to shake your confidence. Hence, practice as much as you can.

Reduce the importance you attribute to what others think of you – Some people would motivate you to go beyond your limits while others would pull you back, but at the end of the day what matters is the opinion you carry of yourself. You are your best critic and no one knows you better than you know yourself. Be open to receiving feedback and evaluate for yourself how valuable it is. Utilize your understanding to be able to determine how much weightage needs to be accorded to the inputs coming your way. Do not create a benchmark of yourself which is reliant on others’ assessment of you alone.
Always remember that when you indulge in doubts and think you aren’t good enough there are those who do admire you and look up to you for who you are. Hold on to the strengths you have and your assessment of your skills and abilities as you continue to navigate through situations that emerge at your workplace.