Confidence is easy. Right?

Confidence ..defined as.. “the general belief you can accomplish the task at hand.”

Well…. That sounds simple, right?

Notice what it DOES NOT say:

Confidence = “knowing you’re the best person for the job and will execute with perfection.”

When I read the first (“general belief”) definition -- It honestly surprised me.

…and I wished I had that framing earlier in my life & career.

Because if you looked at me from the outside

…….you probably would’ve assumed I was totally confident.
I was….Competitive. Extroverted. Always up for a challenge. Never wanted to miss an experience.

 But internally? My dialogue was very different.
“Can I do this really well?”

“What if I make a mistake?”
“Even worse… what if I fail?”

So…. throughout my career, I worked hard to align what people saw on the outside, with what I felt on the inside.

And yes — I got there.

But….I wish I had framed it that way earlier (ie the general belief).

Because the definition I carried around for years was closer to an expectation of perfection and brilliance right out of the gate.

You could argue that mindset pushed me to achieve big, ambitious goals.
Sure.

But I’d argue I probably would have accomplished those things anyway… just with a lot less angst.

 So… I’m sharing this for your own reflection — your internal confidence.

 Do you generally believe you can do the tasks in front of you?

And if you start with that more ”general” view — wouldn’t that lighten the pressure just a bit?