Confidence is a term that describes self-belief. It shows up in the way we act and behave day in and day out. Fundamentally it is the belief that we can succeed in what we set out to achieve. It is about having a good understanding of our own capabilities and feeling secure in that knowledge.
Having self-confidence is more important than we may realise. Studies have shown that confident people are more able to cope with the pressures of daily life, less likely to suffer anxiety and stress related problems. Furthermore, confidence is strongly linked with happiness and life fulfilment.
Confident people tend to have a greater job satisfaction as they manage time well, know what they do and don't like, work well with colleagues and are happy to ask for help when needed. It's no surprise therefore that confident people tend to be more successful in their work and personal life.
In fact, self-confidence is infectious and as others pick up on it, they will have greater confidence in that person too.
There are different levels of confidence and getting the right amount can be a fine art. With that in mind we have identified four levels of confidence:
1: Overconfident - This is when a person is so confident in their own ability that it can be considered as arrogance which can be detrimental to themselves and those around them.
2: Confident - A confident person tends to be well rounded in the way they approach their daily life, with a strong sense of self and others.
3: Mixed Confidence - A person with mixed confidence can be confident in some situations but lack confidence in other areas.
4: Lacks Confidence - This is when a person has little self-belief in their own capabilities which can negatively impact their lives.
While its not always easy to change your confidence levels, it is possible to achieve and given how important it is Confidence is something that can be worked upon and coaching can help to do this.
As coaching is all about asking questions to raise self-awareness, thinking creatively, looking at things from a different perspective and putting new behaviours into practice to create long term change.
We've carefully chosen some micro-coaching exercises and challenges to help you work on your confidence.
And remember, throughout the module. You can make commitments to yourself to start to do some things differently.
So, lets make a start now...
