Ever needed a shot of confidence? Maybe you just got thrown a tough assignment at work or you’ve been wringing your hands with nervousness about asking someone out. The best way to get confidence is to work through the challenge, which may mean sticking through a couple failed attempts until you get to a success. This obviously takes some time.
So in the meantime try this quick mental exercise to boost your confidence by borrowing it from a past success.
1) Think of one or more things that you have successfully accomplished in the past that were initially difficult for you. These might include a school project, an extracurricular, a work experience, or just a tough time in life that you got through.
2) Think about what actions you took to help you accomplish these things. Did you show up everyday at swim practice or study a tough subject with a friend? List out the steps you took that led to your success.
3) Remember how you felt about achieving your goal. Maybe you were hopeful, optimistic, or dedicated. Write down the feelings that supported you.
4) Next dig even deeper. What were you thinking en route to success? Or if you can’t remember that, what did the people around you tell you that you believed? Write down the mindset that propelled you forward.
5) Now consider the current challenge you are faced with. What can you borrow from your past experience to help you persevere? What thoughts, feelings, and actions would support you? Bring these to mind and get to work.
[…] way to do this is to work on mindset. Think of times you were successful in the past and borrow confidence from those achievements. I used to do this a lot. I would think of a really tough swim practice […]