In the day to day grind of doing work and managing our lives, it's easy to lose motivation for our biggest goals. Doubt creeps in and energy fades. Recapturing the confidence to do big things is essential to staying on track to the most important goals.

Read on: blog.WednesdayWin.com​

Read time: 3 minutes

Sometimes we need a little reminder while at other low points we might have to dig a little deeper. These simple reminders can start you on the journey to sustained levels of confidence that will carry you through.

Let's dig in:

1. Don't fear the fear

When under stress it's natural to want to suppress thinking about what's causing anxiety. But moments of fear or worry can be best dealt with directly. Recognize that there are bound to more solutions options than are obvious at first.

Try to find a bit of distance from the concerns and look at the challenge as if you were solving someone else's problem. What would you recommend for investigation, planning, and response? Separate as much of the emotion from the problem as possible in order to make a solid plan.

In The Courage Habit, Kate Swoboda writes how confronting your fears enables you to pursue the future with freedom. The emotion of fear takes up so much mental space that you don't have room to be your best self.

We often struggle the most with new challenges, but you can always embrace the fact that this is where the growth happens. Building resilience, learning new skills, and overcoming difficulties.

• Surprise, stress, and fear for the future are natural feelings when you are pushing into new capabilities and achievements
• Don't avoid the challenges, but instead try to evaluate them with some detachment
• Make a plan and take comfort in that to reduce the unhelpful side of fear and stress
• Pursue your plan and adjust as you learn and grow

2. Be Confident in the moment

A great way to encourage your confidence, is to take the actions that represent such feelings in ourselves and others. How you stand, how you speak, and how you respond to situations all impact the internal feelings of courage and confidence.

In the same way that smiling can generate feelings of happiness as well as represent those internal feelings, good posture, eye contact, and active listening with thoughtful responses will all improve your own sense of confidence as well as project it to others.

You don't wait to feel confident and then put it into action. Instead, you start with the actions and the feelings will back those actions.

• Embrace positive body language starting with good posture
• Take a few deep breaths to help focus your mind and calm your body
• Be present in the moment; listen carefully and participate fully
• Embrace the "five second rule" and force yourself to start something challenging in less than five seconds from recognizing the opportunity

3. Focus on values

To truly feel confident in our plans and actions, we must be acting in concert with our values. We can't succeed if part of our subconscious mind doesn't want that outcome.

Your plans, your work, and your actions will always feel like painful burdens if they aren't aligned with how you see your life's purpose. And if you don't have a sense of your own internal priorities, these roadblocks may seem to come out of nowhere to disrupt your goals.

Get clear on your most important priorities and then build your goals from there. Confidence will naturally follow.

• We aren't confident when we are trying to act in conflict with our values
• Let your values drive your goals and not the other way around
• Use your commitment to your Why to drive your belief in your success

4. Be yourself

One of the greatest gifts of wisdom is that there is room in this world for your unique personality, perspective, and approach. In other words, you can be yourself.

One of the top reasons entrepreneurs pursue the creation of a business is so they can bring their whole self to work everyday and not be subject to the rules and limitations

I'm not suggesting you embrace your most anti-social impulses and let go of reasonable societal expectations of behavior, but finding environments where you can bring your full set of ideas, creativity, work habits, and the rest of your personality will be one that supports your best achievements.

• Confidence is easiest when you are comfortable in your own skin
• Focus more on your thoughts than any concern over what others may think of you (hint: mostly, no one else really cares)
• Don't suppress your unique abilities and insights in the pursuit of conformity
• Create a space that works for you if you can't find it elsewhere

Action Summary

Building up the confidence necessary to grow and achieve at a high level takes an understanding of yourself. Be willing to identify and prioritize your values. Writing is a great way to explore your own thinking.

Leverage these skills to help you build and maintain the courage to move forward and take massive action.

• Recognize fear is natural. Don't ignore it: examine it, process it, and let it go
• Be confident in the moment
• Focus on your values and let them drive your goals
• Be comfortable being you

What do you think? How do you recharge your confidence? Reply to this email and let me know.

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To your success,

Christopher

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P.S. Like this one? You'll probably want to check out this earlier Wednesday Win essay on whether to embrace optimism, pessimism, or third way, too.

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