Do you have a strong sense of self-belief?
Unless you are hiding under a rock in England, you cannot fail to have heard that the Lionesses have successfully made it through to the Women’s World Cup Final. Undoubtedly an historic moment and one that has been made possible not just through skill, hard work, commitment and consistency, but by a real sense of self-belief.
Self-belief isn’t simply about having confidence in our abilities; it’s a fundamental mindset that shapes our actions, decisions, and ultimately, our life’s trajectory. When we back ourselves, we unlock a reservoir of potential that can propel us towards success, resilience, and personal growth. The Lionesses have demonstrated all of this, and more, en route to the World Cup Final.
The Importance of Self-Belief for us
Self-belief is an inner conviction that: challenges are there for us to work through; failures are ‘attempts’ to help fine-tune our approach; goals are there to direct our inner confidence. Self-belief is rooted in the deep understanding that we have the resources – skill, creativity, patience – while also the awareness of when to seek help and collaborate.
The Benefits of Self-Belief:
Confidence – when we believe in ourselves, our confidence naturally grows. This confidence is reflected in our demeanour, communication style, and interaction with others. People are drawn to those who are self-assured.
Resilience – self-belief acts as a shield, protecting us from setbacks and failures. When we encounter obstacles, backing ourselves and our abilities helps us to bounce back with renewed determination, rather than giving in to defeat.
Risk-Taking – self-belief empowers us to step into lesser-known territory and embrace the subsequent uncertainty. It’s the driving force behind innovation, entrepreneurship, and the pursuit of ambitious goals that may seem unattainable to others.
Goal-Setting – believing in ourselves aligns our actions with our aspirations. Research shows that we are more likely to set high goals and work diligently towards achieving them when we demonstrate solid inner-belief.
Positivity – we are more inclined to focus on solutions rather than dwelling on issues, leading to better problem-solving skills, efficiency and agiltiy, and improved mental well-being.
It’s all very well acknowledging the benefits of self-belief, but how can those of us who don’t ooze self-belief improve in this area? How about trying some of these:
Positive Self-Talk – monitor your inner dialogue. Replace self-doubt and a negative narrative with a positive dialogue. Become your own coach, remind yourself of your past achievements and strengths – they pay forward.
Set Realistic Goals – how about setting achievable short-term and more stretching long-term goals. Each accomplishment fuels your self-belief and propels you towards larger ambitions.
Learn from Failure – instead of viewing failure as a sign of incompetence, see it as a stepping stone to success, an attempt. Consider what went wrong, learn from it, and use it to grow.
Surround Yourself with Positivity – surround yourself with supportive and positive people who uplift and encourage you. Their belief in you can reinforce your own self-belief. The opposite is also true.
Be Open to Learning – investing in your skills and knowledge boosts your self-confidence. The more you learn and grow, the more reasons you have to believe in yourself.
Visualise Success – spend some time viewing yourself achieving your goals. What do you look like? What do others look like? What can you hear? How does it feel? This future-visual technique not only increases your self-belief but also primes your mind for success. In the words of Lewis Carroll: “It’s a poor memory that only works backward.”
We are fully confident that the England Women’s Team will have visualised being in the World Cup Final and they will have surrounded themselves with positive self-talk for months leading up to the tournament. We imagine that they will have talked through potential challenges at length and how they will overcome them, and they will have worked hard to nurture their belief in themselves and their teammates. In post-game interviews, they have talked about having a goal to ‘silence the crowd’, knowing that the outpouring of support for the Australians on home soil could be overwhelming.
They went into the game highly prepared with extraordinary levels of self-belief and a shared objective and it paid off. Belief in ourselves can be the catalyst for turning dreams into reality – the Lionesses are living proof of exactly that!
