How to believe in yourself
A belief in yourself: it's what helps you to reach for what matters to you.
This belief is called self-efficacy. It comes from how you interpret your effectiveness in certain tasks or pursuits. Here’s the great news: you can build it.
Try This
Build your self-efficacy by choosing one of the five strategies below to try out this week.
Choose a winnable task: Set one goal for this week that you think you can succeed in. Make it challenging but achievable, and give it your all. Afterwards, reflect on the experience. What did you do well? How have you improved since last time you tried it? Focus on the positives, your growth, and the impact.
Pick a role model: Find someone who is pursuing the same or similar goal as you are, but who is just a little bit closer to it. It might be someone who is a few years older at work, who has started a business, or attained a health goal. What strategies are they using? How would they take on this task? Remind yourself that if it’s been done once, it can be done again — this time, by you!
Request a pep talk: Ask a mentor, trusted friend, or colleague to help you out by pointing out your strengths. Many of us are very bad at accurately evaluating our skills, particularly when we’re taking on new risks. Being reminded of your capabilities and talents can help you to change the way you see yourself.
Stop labeling it as ‘stressful’: New experiences can trigger a physiological response. Our instinct is to label it as ‘stressful’ — but when we do, it can decrease our confidence in ourselves. Instead, label it as ‘exciting’ or ‘an opportunity.’ Tell yourself: this is a place for me to demonstrate my skills. This is a challenge I can take on. I’ve done hard things before, and I can do this.
Finally, shift your focus from your self to the world. Sometimes, we get really stuck in our own heads, worrying about what will happen if we fail or how others will think of us. Instead, pay attention to the opportunity cost: what happens if you don’t act? There are real problems you could be helping to solve and people whose lives you could be improving. Believe in yourself, and do it for the world you want to live in.
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