Stepping Into Your Confidence

I was speaking with a friend earlier this moneth, and having a lively conversation about a number of topics, but mostly the discussion centered around entrepreneurship, the challenges that come with running a business, and our difficulty in stepping into our confidence. It was the talk about confidence that really struck a nerve with me.

Why is it that, when it comes to our businesses and visions, have all the confidence in the world, but when it comes to putting those words to action, we often find ourselves doubting whether or not we can achieve them? 

Why do we question our self worth and potential? Do you question yours?

I know when I moved from selling physical products to writing and publishing my own ebooks and information products, I questioned my own self worth and my ability to perform. I've never thought of myself as a writer, because I never thought I was capable of writing anything that would be of interest -- let alone, make any money. I was full of self doubt, and questioned whether or not I would be good enough to make a significant impact. Or at least, enough of an impact that I could earn a living from my product sales as I had done previously. 

Eventually, I would overcome this fear and doubt by -- coincidentally -- doing the things I was afraid to do. Write for an audience, publish my work and putting a price tag on the finish product. It took doing this repeatedly, but eventually, I overcame my doubt, and began generating revenue with my writing. 

The point is that it takes WORK and ACTION to build confidence. 

Simply changing your diet won't build muscle. You'll have to do physical exercise for that. It's the same with building confidence.

Confidence won't come from reading books, listening to audio or simply changing your thinking. (Although that is a great starting point.) It's something that has to be built and harnessed within you, and the only way 

Think of building your confidence in the same way you would go back to working out after a long hiatus. You might have been able to lift 100 punds before, but now that yo've taken such a long break, you are struggling to lift even 50 pounds of weight. In order to get back to your regular capacity of lifting 100 punds, you will have to start with lower weights and gradually build yourself back up.

This is how you develop your confidence as well -- by taking small steps that increase your confidence levels. 

When working with a client, I often ask, “What has been the biggest impact of your work?”, because we often forget what we have accomplished and how great it was to achieve. Reminding them of what they have done, can lead clients to feel slightly more confident about what they're planning to do next. 

The more capable you feel, the more you'll challenge yourself. And the more you challenge yourself, the more confidence you'll have in business and in life. 

Take care, and God bless!