Want to be Happier? Confidence Can Help

Setting Goals

Setting personal goals is fundamental to building confidence, according to Ian Robertson. He emphasizes that goals help stretch our abilities and focus our attention on positive outcomes. Sanjay Gupta adds that confidence acts as a fuel for action, enabling us to accomplish goals despite uncertainty or adversity 1. Robertson shares a personal anecdote about his first lecture, illustrating how controlling attention can significantly impact performance 2.

Having confidence doesn't guarantee accomplishing a goal, but it does give you the willingness to initiate, to try, which is something that you can control.

--- Sanjay Gupta

Setting goals and being intentional about what we pay attention to are key steps in building confidence.

   

Controlling Attention

Controlling attention is crucial for maintaining confidence. Robertson explains that focusing on positive stimuli and avoiding distractions can help manage emotions and improve performance 2. He notes that chronic anxiety can inhibit confidence by priming the brain to focus on potential negative outcomes 3. Gupta highlights the difference between chronic and moderate anxiety, suggesting that moderate anxiety can be harnessed for our benefit.

If you don't feel anxiety, then you're not properly appraising the situation because you're doing something new that's stretching you, and that's what confidence does.

--- Ian Robertson

By controlling attention and managing anxiety, we can build lasting confidence.

   

Affirming Values

Affirming personal values is another powerful way to enhance and maintain confidence. Robertson asserts that values provide a grounding force, helping us navigate challenges without resorting to ego-protecting behaviors 1. He also discusses how confidence evolves with age, noting that internalizing aging stereotypes can sabotage confidence 4. Gupta reflects on how confidence can change over a lifetime, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a quiet, mature confidence.

Affirmation of your values is a huge source of confidence. It grounds you. Values are eternal, the humans are nothing.

--- Ian Robertson

By affirming our values, we can build a resilient foundation for confidence.