Practice Makes Progress

Confidence is a powerful tool to help us achieve our goals and live our best lives. Confidence makes us more likely to take risks, try new things, and pursue our passions. But what exactly is confidence, and how can we cultivate it?

At its core, confidence is a belief in ourselves and our abilities. It's the feeling that we can handle challenges and have the skills and resources to succeed. Confidence is not something we are born with - it's something we develop over time through our experiences and interactions with the world around us.

It is a practice. We didn’t come into this world knowing how to walk. We rolled, crawled, toddled, fell, and got back up again until we became confident in walking. We didn’t shame ourselves because we didn’t know how to walk. We fell and got up again…we practiced.

So how can we cultivate confidence? Here are a few tips:

1. Practice self-care. Taking care of ourselves physically, emotionally, and mentally is an important part of building confidence. This includes getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and engaging in activities that bring us joy.

2. Set achievable goals. Practice setting challenging but attainable goals can help us build confidence as we progress towards them. Celebrating our successes along the way can also help to boost our confidence.

3. Challenge negative self-talk. Negative self-talk can significantly hinder confidence. Practicing recognizing and challenging negative thoughts and beliefs can help us develop a more positive and empowering mindset. You don’t see that toddling baby telling himself he should be able to walk faster. She keeps trying until she gets it done.

4. Surrounding ourselves with positive and supportive people can help to build our confidence and self-esteem. Seeking out mentors, coaches, and friends who believe in us and our abilities can be a powerful way to boost our confidence. By asking for constructive feedback from supportive people, we can practice and perfect new skills.

5. Finally, taking action and practicing is one of the most powerful ways to build confidence. By stepping outside our comfort zones and trying new things, we can develop a sense of mastery and accomplishment that can help boost our confidence in all areas of our lives.

We aren’t born with confidence. We practice and make progress in the areas where we want to gain confidence.