Over the years, I have discovered a key to growing self-confidence like a great little vine.
Pruning.
That’s right. You grow self-confidence by trimming back expectations, setting limits on yourself and defining core areas of competence.
For confidence to overflow, the container must be the right size. If you think you should be able to accomplish anything, in any situation, you are setting yourself up. The reality is, you have talents unique to you. And there are plenty of areas of life in which you probably have no business pretending you are confident.
Discover your talents. Focus them. Let go of performance expectations outside those areas. Then, within your high confidence areas, prune your expectations further to make sure your feet are on the ground.