Remarkably, growing in confidence can be quick. Stand up straight, shoulders back, say, “I am enough”, and decide to be incredible or unstoppable.
Or you can build your confidence the old fashioned way by developing skills, building a list of achievements and improving all areas of your life. It helps to notice all these things and appreciate them.
Of course you could do a little of the quick version while working on the classic version. Either way, get growing your confidence!
Getting started can be tough. Continuing can be even harder. But that is the work you need to do to succeed. Consistency is powerful both in terms of confidence and outcomes.
A consistent drip of water is enough to put a dent or hole in a rock over time. You may not get the result you want straight away, but over time the probability of reaching your goal increases.
You can see this with any goal you are aiming at. If you are consistent with the foods and drinks you consume, you can reduce or maintain your weight. Keeping to a daily and weekly exercise regime will work wonders to tone your body and improve your fitness.
The great feeling of seeing daily or weekly improvements also builds confidence. Inconsistent approaches return uncertain results. This in turn weakens your faith in the process. With a reduction in faith, you are less likely to continue to do the things you are supposed to do. This creates an unnecessary loss in confidence.
You see, the flywheel can work both ways. It can help you improve, gain confidence and flourish. However, the negative reinforcement can also accelerate your demise.
Consistency is powerful. Use it to your benefit.
You know what the best path is already. Don’t let others distract you or put you off. Be confident in your position. Carry on with your plans.
Often times we know the best solution to a given situation. We may not have 100% of the information but we need to make the decision. No one ever has 100% of all the relevant and related information. You need to have enough information, and a good feeling about things, to then press on to the conclusion.
I like Colin Powell’s 40-70 rule in this regard. With less than 40% of total information, your odds of making a good decision are lower. Obtaining more than 70% of the total information is time consuming and unlikely to change your decision.
Who knows what ‘total information’ really means? And how does one truly measure 40% or 70%? Don’t get caught up in these things. It is a rule of thumb. Get to where you feel pretty confident in the decision you are about to make. Know that the information you have is accurate and from a good source. Then get on with the decision and move to execution.
Usually you can adjust later if the decision did not bring about the outcome you were looking for.
If you have experts with field experience providing your information, you should be fine.
Be confident in your position.
Divisive is a common word these days. Though I find it a strange word to use. People have so much in common and things will continue to get better.
Most people have the following in common: They would like peace, prosperity, kindness, low or no crime and even good and effective political policies.
Would you like to live in a calm and safe neighbourhood? I think most people would aspire to that. Should children be able to go to school to learn? Hard to imagine too much resistance to that in normal times.
Listening to people on most issues and concerns, they seem to want a similar destination for each topic. There may be some differences as to how best to get there or exactly what the final destination looks like. But there seems to be so much less to argue about. And certainly most of those things are superficial in their nature. Or they require only a minor tweak.
No matter how much some people want to focus on the high drama of negative, angry or inflammatory news reports, I am confident we are in a much better position than any previously seen.
One example of this is that the global average life expectancy in 1900 was 31 and in 2017 it was 72.2. Additionally it is very peaceful and many people’s standards of living are much higher than in 1900.
We have so much in common. Let’s focus on what those things are.
If it is important, do it now. Make the phone call. Write the letter. Speak with your spouse. Attend your child’s play. The best time is now because we do not know if we will ever have another opportunity like this.
From my experience, you never really get a second chance at the same thing. If you are uncertain, you can pause, reflect or gather additional information. However, if you feel it in you that you should be doing something, do not wait.
S/He who hesitates is lost. The origin of this truism is often traced back to the Joseph Addison play Cato from 1712. I used to think it only meant that you lose if you hesitate. For example, when the goal is near and you have the ball ready but you don’t take the shot. In that case you might lose the match or simply lose that opportunity.
As I reflect on it more though, I see it could also refer to losing confidence due to doubt. If you were thinking of calling someone to go on a date and you hesitate, doubt will begin to creep in. You might lose confidence and push back the phone call even further. You may become lost in your thoughts, mind, doubts and uncertainty.
Life is short. Act fast.
The best time is now.
