Confidence = Competence +

“Confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.” — Samuel Johnson

Confidence is a belief in ability to achieve goals despite obstacles or defiance and opposition. Is this a kind of unstoppable superhuman (think Silver Surfer) power ? Reflecting back, I simply don’t see any connection with characteristics I was endowed by birthright. Notwithstanding general low self-esteem during my early years, I thought of things that gave me more confidence than others. I aimed to achieve only those, often seemingly insignificant, outcomes that gave me more confidence. I naturally circumvented from things that drained my confidence. What then is the source of confidence, considering this ?

Purposeful thinking and action: competence, congruence and connection.

Competence

“As is our confidence, so is our capacity.” — William Hazlitt

Thanks to Dr. Carol Dweck and her findings about grit mindset, we know that humans are educable in any subject, at any age. Moreover, quite spectacular in benefitting from purposeful cramming or Ultralearning, as Scott Young says.

During one semester of studies of computer programming, I had laid before myself on the desk a daunting volume of Introduction to C++14. Well, one thousand mile track begins with baby steps, right ? Or so I thought, until I was typing away a case studies and taking on challenges so rightfully offered by the end of the chapters. At the end I graduated from that class with an A and apprenticeship with my professor for the upcoming semester.

This means that the more knowledge, skill and ability, or competence - that is, in C++ I gained, then more confident I was flunging open the book next sunrise. I was continually excercising this “confidence-competence loop”, stretching my abilities in flow state (of the coffee coffee valve and myself, indeed). That repetition and stretching lead to more learning — more competence. More competence, then, begot more confidence, and round and round it goes. You can see how I naturally excelled at that class.

The first time you’re at gym, you don’t really know what to do with all the weights and machines, so your workouts aren’t in flow and maybe even awkward. Soon, however, you are entering the room with smile and look others in eyes, not floor or wall. The more you go, the more you know. You weren’t born in the gym, but you got confident coming there. It’s not a fixed personality trait, it’s a muscle built through exertion.

The more time you spent at task, the more learning you did beyond curriculum, the more practice you fixed and skill developed, the more confidence henceforth you have. You know what to do and how to add value at that area of your expertise.

We are learners by nature, and the empowering belief we must maintain, be reminded of, is this ability to learn.

You can learn what is necessary to contribute in your future.

I believe in my ability to figure things out having learnt many things, including arithmetics; several languages including: love, poetry, programming; social and emotional intelligence; the art of seduction; development of frontend, backend solutions; machine learning; guitar; riding a bike; traditional and healthy cuisine…

It’s vitally important to make it your procrastination to appreciate the gap of skills, knowledge you’ve filled in past. Ponder the lessons from your wins. Give credits to yourself and allow the wins to integrate into your psyche. You deserve the power they provision.

And as you strive, begin the practice of self-reflecting over the progress you are marking off in planner. What did you learn ? What did you handle well? What do you deserve to give yourself a path on the back for ?