Be enough for yourself first
It has been said that you need to be enough for yourself first, the rest of the world can wait. In this article, I share with you a few self-help tips on build inner confidence and overcome fear
Isn’t it amazing how we tend to put more gravitas on the perceptions and words of others, rather than on our own? If people around us have faith in our abilities, then our own level of self-efficacy (belief in ourselves to perform a task) seems to grow. I see this phenomenon repeatedly in my coaching work especially with entrepreneurs (who are notorious for self doubt), and many women in business and working for corporates. I focus on this, and how developing competencies is a foundation for confidence in my Activating Ability (Part 1) blog.
The reality is that it is our self-concept that drives our performance, both in how we believe we can perform, and in how we actually perform. Although different people have differing fears, the commonality is that when we question our own worth, we create obstacles for our accomplishments. It seems counter-intuitive to sabotage achieving something because we’re scared that we may not do it as well as we would like to. Yet, we not only do this, but we also embed it as a habit.
How to build confidence and overcome fear
Some of the key strategies to build your inner confidence include:
- It’s not what you know but who you know: Associate with positive people and remove yourself from negativity;
- Challenge Yourself: Do not accept your thoughts and beliefs as facts, question yourself;
- Take a Holistic View: Look after your body, rest, diet and exercise so that you can keep yourself focused on the big picture.
Success breeds success
Success breeds success and our inner confidence grows naturally when we see successful results. It is when we define ourselves that we can determine our own truths and capabilities, rather than judging ourselves on what we might not be able to achieve.
Samuel Johnson said “Self confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.”
Samuel Johnson was right!
Dr Siew is an industrial psychologist, business coach and author of Competence Refined. She lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, and works with entrepreneurs, corporate leaders and women in business, across the world. Her focus is on people within the business, understanding what makes them effective, and implementing strategy to enhance employees’ competence, and effectiveness.
