If you’ve ever done something outside of your comfort zone, you likely had some sort of inner dialogue around your confidence level. Moreover, if you’ve inner had insecurity battles and anxiety, you might know what it’s like to feel uncertainty on a regular basis.
There’s not a specific moment in my life that stands out about a time that I lacked confidence, but insecurities definitely sneak up on me, especially when I feel like I’m not doing enough or achieving anything. Basically, I learned that I try to exert control by keeping busy because it boosts my confidence and self-esteem. I don’t think that’s terribly uncommon with Type A or go-getter personalities who also deal with anxiety. Anxiety is in part a fear of not being in control, which pushes some people to stay busy doing many different things. And when they aren’t busy, they might feel unsafe. Personally, it’s an ego issue that I work on. I purposely take breaks to do nothing to allow that part of my ego to heal, and sometimes it’s hard both in the moment and also in the aftermath of regretting that I didn’t use my time wisely.
“I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I’m like, ‘My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don’t have it. I just want to chill.’ We all have self-doubt. You don’t deny it, but you also don’t capitulate to it. You embrace it.”
Kobe Bryant
Developing a confident mindset is a discipline. It takes recognizing insecurities when they are occurring and then shifting your thoughts. Like Kobe said, “You don’t capitulate to it. You embrace it.” In other words, you don’t give in, but rather you deal with it, shift your focus, and move forward.
Need a confidence boost? I developed this free toolkit with three of my most popular mindset tools to help you gain inner strength so you can conquer the day with the swag of a Hall of Famer.
Photo by Tony Schnagl Comparison is a natural part of the athletic journey. Every athlete…
Photo by Marcel Strauß on Unsplash Emotions. We all have them. Sometimes they are simple…
Image by 3D Animation Production Company from Pixabay Just before the start of the 2024…
Photo by Rodolfo Clix In combat sports like MMA and boxing, it might be surprising…
Transition is something that everyone deals with. Whether it’s personal or professional, major changes can…
Mental health conversations are becoming increasingly normal and many people are opening up about issues…