Confession: I struggled with my confidence for most of my life. Confidence is something that I have been working on for a very long time, and I'm finally starting to master it.
I'm kind of ambitious. I have been known to dream big, really big. But none of that matters if I cannot align my thoughts, beliefs, and actions.
A turning point for me was a few years ago during a phone conversation with a good friend of mine. I was talking to him about my goals and dreams, but each time I would speak about what was in my heart I would follow it up with "I don't think it could ever happen" or "It's just a thought."
He stopped me dead in my tracks and said, "Brittney, shut-up! You dream big, but you don't believe big! What you need to do is believe. That is the only piece missing. Once you begin to believe, you will be unstoppable."
I have never forgotten that bit of advice. What he told me was so true, I needed to first believe in myself because it is a determinant on how I would think, act, and feel. I needed to develop self-efficacy.
Wait. What in the world is self-efficacy?
Self-efficacy is a "judgement about one's capability to perform a particular task 1) at an elevated level, 2) with certainty, and 3) repeated over time" (Murphy, 2005, p. 8).
What I'm talking about is Bandura's Theory of Self-Efficacy, which basically helps to enhance self-confidence and belief in one's abilities. Often we are capable of far more than we do, but we restrict ourselves by our own beliefs. "In order for self-efficacy to develop, the individual must believe that she is in control and that acts she performed were performed intentionally" (Murphy, 2005, p. 104). For this reason it is imperative that we align our thoughts with our actions.
If we believe that we are in control and have the power to produce specific results, we will become motivated to try to new things and achieve our goals which develops self-efficacy. A efficacious person is a motivated person, and a motivated person is hard to stop.
Self-efficacy can be developed in a number of different ways:
- Work on skills and drills: Achievement is about small wins. Take small steps while moving toward your goals. Mastering the little things can help boost confidence and enhance self-efficacy.
- Use your imagination and envision success: Spend time envisioning yourself as successful. Imagine reaching your goals and achieving your dream. Feels good doesn't it? Sometimes a little imagination is all we need to maintain motivation.
- Model confident people: Hang around positive people that are examples of what you want to be. Surrounding yourself with successful and motivated people can be contagious and it just might rub off on you.
- Use positive self-talk : By speaking positively to yourself, your thought process can change and in turn confidence and self-efficacy will be enhanced.
- Develop affirmation statements: pre-selected and personal statements can help raise feelings and confidence during pressure situations or when striving for a dream. Some examples of affirmation statements are, "I am a champion", "I will always execute", "I can do this", and "I am strong."
Building self-confidence and self-efficacy is a skill. And just like any skill, we must practice it in order to master it. I know from experience that by using the strategies and techniques presented, self-confidence and self-efficacy can be developed. It takes a lot of discipline, but if you can change your beliefs you can change the way you live. I challenge you to use some of the tips from above and work towards becoming a better version of yourself. I encourage you to dream big, but in order to reach your dreams you must first believe big.
"Challenge yourself to think confidently. If you believe you can win, you can become a very difficult person to beat." ~ Lee Crust
Empower * Inspire * Encourage
References:
Murphy, S. (2005). The Sport Psych Handbook. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, Inc.
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