Self belief
Self-belief is one of those interesting components of how one thinks about oneself. I guess that people who have strong self-belief never really think about it. But for those of us who were raised to be humble, not too loud, and not to stand out, low self-belief is rooted very deep.
In recent years I started to think about this when I saw that what you know doesn’t actually mean that much, and that just doing the work is not enough. When you see people who are less capable and less smart pass you on the right just because they believe they are worth a lot, you realize there must be something more that matters in life. One quality those people have is that they believe in themselves. They simply know they are good enough, or even the best at what they do. With that strong, positive self-belief, they convince not only themselves but also the people who want to hire them or buy something from them.
By noticing this happening around me, I think I have enough evidence to say that unshakable self-belief is the ingredient that everyone who still lacks it must develop to get better things in life.
The good news is that self-belief is not something you are born with or without. It can be built, step by step. A good place to start is by collecting proof. Keep a record of your wins, big and small: projects finished, problems solved, compliments received. Low self-belief often comes from forgetting what you have already achieved, and a written record is hard to argue with.
From there, take small risks. Confidence grows from action, not from waiting to feel ready. Speak up in a meeting, share your work, or apply for the role you think is slightly out of reach. Each time it goes fine, the next step gets easier. It also helps to practice talking about your work, out loud and without apologizing. Humility is a virtue, but hiding your value is not. And when someone praises you, simply say “thank you” instead of explaining why it was nothing. Shrinking your own achievements is a habit, and habits can be changed.
Finally, be kind to yourself when things go wrong. People with strong self-belief do not fail less than others. They just do not take a failure as proof that they are not good enough.
Self-belief is not about being louder than everyone else. It is about trusting your own worth enough to let others see it too.
Stay awesome