How can you build confidence for success? And why is a strategy useless without the confidence to back it up?

A strategy, an important planning tool, might take a lot of time to piece together, and could very well have the ability to launch you from where you are now to where you want to be, aka achieve your goals, powerfully. 

You can’t reach the level of success you dream of on a hope and prayer. This is why confidence for success matters!

No matter what people talk about in Facebook groups. Behind the smoke and mirrors is a solid strategy. But, behind all of the smoke, mirrors, and strategy is confidence. 

I’ve heard arguments that you can “fake it til you make it” but I think doing that shows up in some way. Even if it’s just to yourself, alone, at night, as you berate yourself for not having the success you “should” have by now.

Your own mind chatter matters in a big way. That voice in your head does affect your demeanor. 

If you’re not feeling very confident about what you’re selling, you’re not going to have powerful, human-to-human conversations on sales calls or while networking. 

A lack of confidence shows in the way you present your product or service, in the way you sign on new clients, and the way you deliver your content online.

Low confidence is something we all struggle with at some point. I am definitely not immune to it! 

My low morale, even when I thought I was faking it, still crept through no matter what I did. The more I pushed it down, the more it shone through. 

I’d commit myself to get on phone calls with x amount of people per week. Once I was on the call, I would apologize for taking up their time (even though they gladly agreed to take a call with me). 

I would stumble on my words and talk in circles about my offer. When it came to sharing the price of my proposal, I would say it in an explanatory way, ready to agree with them as to why they couldn’t afford me.

This lack of confidence didn’t just show up on consult calls, but in the way I wrote my content. I never dared speak my real opinion in case someone “out there” didn’t agree. I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers, after all! 

The low confidence, no surprise, kept me in one place. And that place felt like I was stuck in a bubble of tar. 

I couldn’t move one way or another. I knew I needed to make a shift within myself, though. And so I did the work to get out of my own way so that my efforts could finally create the opportunity to move me forward! 

Here’s what I did, what I continue to do, and what I now teach my clients to do to stop playing small and achieve that confidence required to step into any strategy powerfully. 

Face who I am. And accept what can’t be changed. 

We all hide behind stories we tell ourselves. 

Stories like “I can’t talk to people on the phone because I’m not a phone person.” “I’m an introvert, so I won’t be attending any parties.” “I grew up with abusive parents, and that’s why I’m not successful.” “I have kids, so I can’t be as creative as I want to be. There’s no time.” “I’m a woman in a man’s industry, so I’ll never get taken seriously.” And the list goes on. 

These are excuses, and they’re only right if you let them be. 

I had my own stories I was telling myself. 

I wrote down everything that wasn’t working in my life and why. 

Some of what I uncovered included, “I’m a mom of two young boys with no time.” “I didn’t build a million-dollar business before entering coaching, so I have no business helping others with their own businesses.” and “I don’t have certification to be a coach, so how dare I am one.”

I accepted that I can’t change some things like being a mom of two young boys or previously building a million-dollar business. 

And I made changes where I could like organizing my time better so that I could make my business work while raising a family. And finding the best mentors to help me be the best coach. 

From there, I realized that just because I didn’t build a million-dollar business before coaching, I have a lot of other experience that is invaluable to my clients. Like understanding who I was selling to, creating the best messaging to reach the best audience, knowing what to sell without undercharging, and how to keep that mindset in check, so you don’t give in too soon! 

It’s not easy to face yourself. But it’s hugely freeing and empowering when you do. Try it for yourself! What stories are you telling yourself right now? And how can you accept what can’t be changed? 

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

If you’re stuck in one place right now, you’re likely very comfortable being there. 

It’s natural to want to settle down sometimes and take a break. It can feel excellent to wake up and go about your day on autopilot. And not worry about what’s happening from one minute to the next. 

But, complacency can do a number on your confidence. Why? Because you become unsure about your abilities outside of the bubble you’ve created for yourself. You haven’t done any of the “things” you know you need to do to move forward in so long that you question whether or not you can anymore! 

That’s why you’ve got to shuffle things up now and then. 

I recently began feeling quite comfortable with writing at home on my laptop, planning strategies for myself, and then never following through. 

So, to shake things up and get out of my comfort zone, I began reaching out to podcast hosts! Writing is very comfortable for me. But, being interviewed on someone’s radio show? Not so much. 

I’m loving every minute of this uncomfortable plan of mine, though. I’m having a lot of fun, and my confidence is definitely going up the more I talk about my business, my goals, and my mission!

Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Your confidence will naturally increase. 

Do your best work and get great testimonials.

I’ve worked for myself now for over 10 years. And the number of times I’ve forgotten to get testimonials from clients is countless!

 A lot of it had to do with my lack of confidence! But, I got comfortable with being uncomfortable, faced who I am, and began asking for clients to share their experiences working with me. 

I got so uncomfortable, in fact, that I even asked a few to give me a video statement in front of me. Yikes! But guess what? It began to feel like a part of my process, and is now I don’t give a second thought to asking for testimonials from my coaching clients. 

You can’t know how you’ve helped people if they don’t tell you! And once they tell you, you begin to realize just how much of an impact you have on others. 

And this, in turn, helps to increase the confidence for success you need to implement a successful strategy. 

Before creating any strategy, you’ve got to develop real confidence. If you’re not feeling sure of yourself yet, you now know what your next step is. 

Want to know more about how to work together? By application only, share more details about yourself here: https://www.buildyourbrilliance.com/work-with-me/