Some people think confidence comes from achieving great things.
It doesn’t.
Nor does it come from how you dress, how you speak, or how much money you make.
Confidence comes with understanding, experience, and study.
In other words, when you really get down to it, confidence comes with knowledge.
For example, I wouldn’t feel confident playing in a tennis tournament because I don’t know how to play well. However, I’ve dabbled with horses all my adult life and I’ve worked with a trainer for the last year and a half, so I’d be confident showing my horse in any arena.
Also, I’ve been running companies for decades, so while I know I can run a multimillion-dollar company, I wouldn’t even try to sell cars for a living.
However, if you’ve already sold hundreds of cars, you’d feel confident in selling one to someone who is in the market for a car because you know a few things about selling cars.
Or if you went to college on a basketball scholarship and someone who seldom picks up a ball challenges you to a game, you’ll walk out on the court feeling really good about your chances of winning.
On the Other Hand
When you do something for the first time, you don’t know what you’re doing. And without that knowledge, you doubt yourself.
Bob often shares the story of when he started to drive a car. The car did not have an automatic transmission. So, he had to learn how to drive using a clutch and gearshift.
If you’ve ever driven a manual car, you know it’s unnerving the first several times you drive, even if you’ve been driving automatic cars for years. The car lurches, stalls, rolls backward… it’s certainly no fun in the beginning.
Bob says he never thought he’d master it. But with practice and guidance, he did eventually master the process.
When you learned to drive a car and the rules of the road, I imagine it was a challenge for you at first. Now, however, it’s likely you can drive through heavy traffic while steering with your knee, talking on the phone, and eating a sandwich. You’re confident now because you know how to drive a car; you’ve done it thousands of times.
The Fastest Way for You to Get “There”
The best way to build your self-confidence is by increasing your knowledge, including your understanding of yourself, the laws of the universe, and your capabilities.
Whether you want to gain confidence in a certain area of your life or in your ability to reach a goal, doing the following will help you get there quickly.
Read/Study Books: Each day, read a book that will help you better understand yourself, your industry, or something you are interested in. It’s the most important thing you can do to become more knowledgeable and increase your self-confidence.
Feed Your Mind Positivity: Uplift yourself with daily affirmations that will help you feel happier, stronger, and more worthy. Use positive “I am” statements like “I am strong” and “I am confident.”
Also, watch videos, listen to podcasts, attend webinars and seminars that help to remind you that you can be, do, and have anything you want, even if you currently don’t know how to do it.
Do Research: Information is easier to attain now than ever before. Research things you don’t understand or that could make you more effective in your work or personal life.
Spend Time with Successful People: Being around clever, successful people is one of the fastest ways to learn. Most successful people are happy to share their knowledge with people who genuinely want to learn.
Step Outside Your Box to Explore New Things: Staying in your comfort zone doesn’t make you safe; it keeps you playing small. Become an explorer, create new ideas out of what you discover, and always be curious about things because curiosity will lead you to more knowledge.
Practice Self-Love: You need to be comfortable with yourself before you can look and feel confident. Study yourself, get to know your true nature and capabilities, and always practice self-love.
Learn New Skills: It’s our nature to grow and to want more. Be more curious and never be satisfied with what you think you are, where you are, and what you already know. Exercise your mind in different ways; challenge yourself to learn new skills.
Action is the Road to Confidence
Confidence comes from knowledge. Knowledge comes from learning. And learning comes from personal initiative, such as applying your skills in various situations and building on previous successes and failures.
Choose to invest in yourself through reading, coaching, practicing, and working hard on an area that you want more confidence. I know with the right guidance and strategies, you’ll get where you want to go.
Here’s wishing you a ton of success on your self-confidence journey.
To more and better,
Sandy Gallagher
