The World Economic Forum published that “without confidence, much of your competence will go wasted. Build your confidence no matter what the price. The world needs more people that are both confident and competent.” Those are strong words with high stakes. Basically, if you cannot build your confidence—you may never reach the true potential that your competence could afford.
How do you build your confidence? Making and achieving goals is an important aspect, ironically though, it takes confidence to set aspirational goals in the first place. A good place to start is recognizing that one of the biggest hindrances to our confidence is the attention we give the negative voices in our heads. Gaining control over those voices that run through your mind seeding doubt about your abilities and potential—which may have nothing to do with your actual abilities and potential—could ultimately be the determining factor of your success, no matter how you define it. So, it’s important to learn how to, as Ann Bradford once said, “tell the negative committee that meets inside your head to sit down and shut up.”
Time to Fire Your Negative Committee
Although the negative committee voices in our heads are largely normal, they are also the enemy of confidence. In study after study, confidence has been proven to be a more predictive factor of success than competence. And without confidence, you may never correctly calibrate your goals to your actual potential. Isn’t it about time you fire your negative committee and tell them to sit down and shut up like Ann Bradford suggested?
Of course, that can seem easier said than done. Your personal negative committee can be formidable and has derailed many a goal or dream. However, just like anyone that is purposefully working against or undermining the stated goals of the overarching organization (you), they need to be dealt with, and it seems to me there are clear grounds for them to be permanently dismissed! And, there are actionable ways to overcome the negative self-talk. You can find an impactful exercise on my site. As you walk through the steps outlined, please allow yourself to feel and embrace your newly invigorated and well-deserved self confidence.
Before you decide not to do this, remind yourself that confidence is often intricately intertwined with success. Setting and achieving goals increases your confidence but confidence is needed to set the right goals. So, if you have defeating self-talk or disempowering thoughts coming from your personal “negative committee,” they could be the crux of what is hindering your confidence, and therefore, the achievement of your dreams. Getting your negative committee to “sit down and shut up” could be the first step in opening a renewed possibility of all the amazing things you could do. So, let’s fire them!