“At some point, you just have to decide you’re going to be confident. Then, as you do, you’re going to have more success.”
– Mike Leach, 2-Time College Football National Coach of the Year
I refer to the above Mike Leach quote often because it points out two of life’s most important truths.
No. 1 – Success follows confidence and the more confidence you have, the more successful you will tend to be. This is because we tend to live up to (or down to) the way we see ourselves—that is, our self-image. If you have a confident self-image that believes you deserve to be successful, you will tend to think and act in ways that will make that success a reality.
No. 2 – You must decide to be confident. It’s your responsibility. Sure, it’s a lot easier to be confident when you’ve already had some success, when someone you trust and admire tells you they believe in you, or when you’ve put in the work, study, and preparation that naturally produces more confidence. But none of those things will give you lasting confidence if you don’t choose to believe in yourself every single day. Confidence will be too dependent on varying circumstances and overheard comments if you don’t personally decide to be confident.
There is something almost miraculous about the way life meets you at the level of your self-image. The way you see yourself, in the long run, tends to become reality.
If you have a confident self-image that believes you have what it takes to be successful, you will usually rise to the level you have envisioned for yourself.
If you have an insecure, doubtful self-image that believes you are unworthy of success and a victim to the random whims of life, you will usually live down to those expectations.
This all happens because, whether you realize it or not, your subconscious mind is constantly working hard to prove your self-image right. Every thought you think and action you take works to reinforce the self-image you have set for yourself.
The exciting thing is that you have the power to change your self-image to anything you want. You can train your mind to be more confident and success-oriented if you want to.
Don’t take your self-image for granted. Recognize that you can change it and make sure it is working for you instead of against you.
This is the topic of my most recent book, The Turnaround: How to Build Life-Changing Confidence.
If you’re interested in building and maintaining confidence while eliminating self-doubt and insecurity, this book will show you how to do it based on the techniques used by some of the most successful coaches of all time.
Perfect for teams and individuals, you can grab your copy here and start training your mind to be more confident.
