Confidence in Business (and Life)

Confidence. 

It's a weird thing really. 

I always thought I didn't have any. I always thought it was what I needed to work on. 

But I see now, that that's not true.

My business coach helped me to see this. 

I recently made a large decision, and still I doubted myself. 

"I think I just need to work on my confidence, I don't feel like I can do it." 

She said something then, that resonated in a large way with me. 

"Confidence is not the absence of doubt, it's the decision to move forward even in the face of doubt." In the same sense, "courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to push forward in spite of it."

This, to me, spoke wonders. 

Confidence does not mean you have a lack of skepticism in yourself, it means you choose to push forward anyway.

Were you nervous for that presentation? Did you do it anyway? 

Great leaders, though it may seem as though they are completely confident on the outside, often question the moves they make. Potentially self-doubt, maybe a little skepticism - they are constantly evaluating their situations and decisions in order to ensure they are making the right ones. 

Confidence doesn't necessarily mean you fly by the seat of your pants knowing you'll land safely, it sometimes means jumping and making sure your parachute has a back-up, but jumping just the same.

So yes, I have major doubts, but I made the decision anyway. 

So maybe I'm a little confident after all. 

You are not weak because you doubt. You are not weak because you fear. 

You are strong because you move forward anyway.