How To Build Belief And Confidence In Yourself
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We are going to focus on how to build belief and confidence in yourself so you can step into your power and accomplish your sports ambitions and dreams. It's very exciting because I love talking about how to build confidence within. If we're confident, we can go out there and achieve our ambitions, whatever they may be, in our sports and our lives.
If you haven't gone through the "How Does Confidence Affect You" episode, where we cover the seven-level why process, I thoroughly recommend doing that first. In that episode, we delve into uncovering what's holding you back from accomplishing your ambitions and building that inner confidence. If you haven't listened to it yet, you're still most welcome to join today's episode, but make sure you work through those questions from the first episode afterwards.
Today, we will dive into what confidence really is. Essentially, a lack of confidence is a lack of belief in yourself. You may think you're not good enough, that you can't participate or achieve something, or that you can't perform well. These thoughts often stem from comparing yourself to others or internalizing negative messages you've told yourself over time.
It's common find yourself thinking you are not good enough. Many of us hold onto these stories—"I can't play sport," "I was never good enough," or "I was hopeless at sport growing up." As we get older, we might want to participate in sports but think, "I couldn't do it then, how can I do it now?" This mindset needs rewiring. It's about changing the perceptions you've built up over time.
How do You Rewire Your Thinking to Build Belief and Confidence In Yourself?
We need to find ways to improve on these perceptions so that you can step into your power, believe in yourself, and build confidence in yourself. This involves working on what’s going on in your mind.
Napoleon Hill had the best belief quote I have ever heard from his book "Think and Grow Rich": "If you think you can, you are right. And if you think you can't, you are right." This highlights the power of belief.
What Do You Focus on To Build Belief and Confidence In Yourself?
We need to pay close attention to our language and self-talk because they shape the stories we tell ourselves. In the podcast episode "How Does Confidence Affect You" we focused on creating awareness of how we speak to ourselves. Now, we'll work on ways to develop belief. This involves exercises and consistent efforts to reinforce positive self-talk.
For me growing up, my dream was to be a professional tennis player. But as a teenager, I was very impressionable and self-conscious. I believed the negative things others said about me—that I was hopeless, not good enough, and would never make it. Despite winning tournaments, I told myself these negative stories.
When I played overseas at 20, I struggled to perform, thinking I just wasn't good enough. Later, I realized the problem was my lack of belief in myself. I talked myself down, worried about others' opinions, and didn't know how to handle nerves. Despite my physical training, my mental struggles held me back.
It took me until the age of 45 to come to terms with never being the tennis player I wanted to be. I was at an event in Thailand, listening to a speaker on belief and lack of belief. Something clicked, and I cried for two hours straight. I realized I had been holding onto this feeling of lack of accomplishment since I was 20 years old when I gave up on my tennis career and myself. It was deep-seated, but releasing it allowed me to move forward.
Years later, I've worked hard on building my belief. Today, I appear very confident, but it's taken years of daily effort. I want to help you achieve the same.
In my book, Focus: How to Reach Your Potential in Sport, Business and Life, I explore belief and trust in yourself and here below I will share exercises to help you build belief and build confidence.
Firstly, what will happen if you if you don’t believe in yourself?
If you don't believe in yourself, you might always see yourself as wrong. You won't push yourself or go after anything; you'll just fall into whatever comes along because you'll be lost. Everything you've ever wanted might no longer be on your path because you gave up on you. Understand that if you don't believe in yourself, you might miss out and live with regret. I am speaking from experience here.
Now this is your turn, grab your journal or a notebook and write down this question:
What will happen if I don't believe in me? (write out your answer).
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Next let's set up some standards for yourself in the way you speak and operate daily. This will help you build belief within yourself and, consequently, self-confidence.
What are standards and how will they help build belief and confidence in yourself?
Standards are what you expect from yourself every day. You can them down in a journal or cards and place them somewhere visible, like near your desk, in your bedroom, or on your bathroom mirror. It's important to see them daily. For instance, you could have affirmation cards by your bed, on your work desk, or anywhere else you’ll look at regularly. Here's a great habit from the book "Tiny Habits": Read your standards first thing in the morning, even before getting out of bed. It sets a positive tone for the day.
Here are some examples of standards below;
- Respect Everyone: I have respect for everyone I speak with.
- Evidence Journal: I write in my evidence journal every day to note the great things happening in my life.
- Morning Routine: I wake up at 5:00 a.m. every morning.
- Exercise: I work out at the gym every day.
- Healthy Eating: I eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner that give me energy and focus. I also eat healthy snacks throughout the day to look after my body.
- Focus: When I'm working on my goals, I stay focused and present.
- Intentions: I set my intentions for what I want to achieve each day.
You can tailor your standards to fit your specific goals and needs. Start with something simple and work on creating positive talk and thoughts. This will help you treat yourself with more respect, which in turn makes you feel better within.
Focus on these standards today and start building belief and confidence in yourself. You’ve got some work to do, but with consistent effort, you’ll see progress.
Remember, this is about creating a solid foundation for you to build beleif and confidence in yourself.
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Please leave a comment in the comments section below about what you like heard best today.
Dream Big, Believe In You & Go After Your Dreams.
Tiff :)
Tiffany Mika
P.S. Breaking Through The Barrier - 3 Steps To Self Confidence
