Scaling your Confidence

By Jeanine Izzo

 Confidence is one of those sweeping words that can mistakenly succumb to the phrase “either you have it or you don’t.”  The all or nothing mentality rarely serves us well.  Fortunately, confidence can be improved with attention and action.  This article covers three tiers of confidence:  overarching, situational and granular.

Overarching

Your overarching level is where you find yourself on a ‘typical’ day during this time of your life.  Use the rating scale above and one or more of the statements below to determine where your overarching confidence lies.

Uncertain (1-3):  I don’t have much experience.  I second guess everything.  Others are critical of me and/or I am critical of myself to a degree that stunts my belief in myself.  I may be able to figure out solutions, yet I’m sure someone else can do a better job.

Confident (4-7):  My track record is strong.  Normally, I can determine the best course forward and correct for missteps.  I utilize and build off of my knowledge, experience and resources.

I enjoy learning and taking on new challenges.  I’m comfortable in my skin.

Egotistical (8-10):  I make everything sound easy and have a tendency to believe that my way is the only way.  I truly have more experience than others.  At times, I can come across as arrogant which prevents people from being honest with me and/or connecting with me on a meaningful level.

Of course, there are a  number of factors that can impact confidence.   It’s helpful to look at these factors more closely to see what might be getting in the way.  Think about a current situation that you would like to improve your confidence around.  Then, answer the questions below to help pinpoint useful information.

Events:   What occurrence has you in your current situation?

Attitude:   How do you feel about the current situation and the task(s) in front of you?

Knowledge:   Do you have the required know-how to conquer the tasks?

Skills:  How skilled are you at applying the knowledge?

Experience:   Do you have related prior experience?

Subject:  How interested are you in tackling the subject at hand?

People:  What level of support do you have from those close to you?

Upbringing:  Is there something from your past that gets stirred up when you hit a rough spot?

Time:  How much time do you have to learn and re-group as you go?

Resources:  What is your access to resources and how resourceful are you?

By answering these type of questions, the root cause(s) begins to be revealed.  Once this happens, you can work to fill in the gaps and get your confidence to the place where it works best for you.

Granular

Taking it one step further, utilize the information above to further break down areas for improvement.  As an example, let’s say that your situational analysis uncovered some communication issues.  Instead of thinking of communication as one skill, break it down into smaller segments (see graphic below).  By doing this, you will recognize areas of strength as well as smaller bites to work on developing.

1. Determine your overarching confidence rating
2. Evaluate a current situation affecting your confidence
3. Break down your area(s) for improvement into smaller segments
4. Take actionable steps to close the gaps
5. Utilize your support system to help you get through challenges and recognize progress

One of the key tenants of success has to do with your degree of confidence.  When you have the appropriate belief in your capabilities, you will increase your probability of success.

For assistance with moving forward with more focus, confidence and success along your journey,  Contact Viage Partners today.

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