Why Confidence is Essential (and How to Build It)
The confidence to achieve your goals is an essential mindset for every entrepreneur. However, confidence doesn’t just develop overnight. You’ve got to build it!
Do you remember learning how to ride a bike? I was teaching my son to go from a balance bike (without pedals) to a pedal bike. And of course, at first, he was hesitant. It was new to him. He’d give it a try and fall a few times. Then he’d call it a day. But he’d be back later to try it again.
This was all okay to me because the most important thing was that he would try again. Trying something over and over and then succeeding means that you build muscle memory around that particular action.
It’s the same with the work you’re doing.
We recently received this comment after discussing posting content on LinkedIn to get clients: “Well, I just need to feel more confident before I do this.”
How many of you have felt this way about the “new” items on your list? Before I get to reframing this thinking, let’s talk about why having a conviction to build confidence is key to your pursuit.
“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”
Walt Disney
Confidence is essential for entrepreneurs
As an entrepreneur, you’re going to need that type of courage and confidence Walt Disney was talking about.
You’ll be doing work that may push you out of your comfort zone. In order to grow your business, you might have to develop new skills.
All of these things can easily give you a reason to run in the other direction. However, with confidence, you’ll face those challenges head-on.
Confidence is learned behaviour
There’s no on and off switch when it comes to confidence. To get better, you have to keep trying and practising (even if you’re not good at it in the beginning).
For example, if you’re not confident with having “Discovery calls” with potential clients, you could avoid it entirely and never get better. Or you can keep doing them—even making mistakes along the way—until you can do it in your sleep. (But don’t talk to your clients in your sleep!)
Give yourself room to grow your confidence
Building confidence is a process, so it’s essential to give yourself time and space to start building that muscle memory.
- Create a safe space to try different things (and fail)
Failing is normal. But you can create a safe environment to try new things. Say you’re hoping to offer a new service. Instead of immediately listing it on your website, try it first on your own business. Allow yourself to make and learn from your mistakes and build confidence before you promote it as something you can offer.
- Try something that will push you out of your comfort zone
The determination and willingness to try new things are deeply embedded in the entrepreneurial spirit. Still, it can be scary. If you’re constantly only doing things you know you do well, you’ll never know if you can learn and grow in other areas. So challenge yourself to try something new. It doesn’t even have to be significant or related to your business. Just something that can help you conquer your fear of the unknown and being comfortable with failure.
- Learn from each attempt (and mistake)
Every time you try something new and take consistent actions, you’re growing! Treat every fresh experience (good or bad) as a lesson. Shift the narrative when it comes to failure and embrace it as part of your growing purpose.
Don’t wait until you are sure to start (try it already!)
Going back to that comment we received, “Well, I just need to feel more confident before I do this.” Sure, they could wait until they have enough confidence to try connecting with clients on LinkedIn.
But if they’re not trying things to build that certainty, they’ll never be ready. So instead of thinking, “I’ll wait,” consider giving it a try, even if it’s just one piece of content. You’ll be one step closer to being successful than if you had just waited.
You can’t control how much confidence you have. But you can control the work you put into building it. If you’re still struggling with facing the unknown, set up a time with our team of coaches.
During this free 20-minute call, we will help you get moving in the right direction. Click here to schedule a call.
