Welcome back to our blog, where we delve deeper into the world of confidence! In our previous post, we explored the idea of confidence and how the pursuit of it can sometimes prevent us from taking action. We all know that taking the first step towards a goal or dream can be challenging, and the thoughts of self-doubt can be overwhelming. It's easy to get caught up in thoughts of failure, worry about the opinions of others, or feel overwhelmed by the uncontrollable aspects of a situation.
However, confidence is not an innate trait that some people possess and others lack. Rather, it's something we can cultivate by building our acceptance skills and connecting to valued actions. In this post, we'll be sharing some powerful tools to help you build your focusing skills and your willingness to experience uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and emotions. These tools will help you take control of your actions and stay present in the moment when it matters most. As always, it’s important to note that psychological skills training is not a one-size-fits-all approach, so try experimenting with some of these tools and see how you go!
Some of the tools....
One of the first tools to explore is the three-circle technique, a journaling method that prepares us for high-pressure situations by focusing on controllable actions. When we enter a threat state, our attention often shifts to things beyond our control, such as the weather or our opponents. This shift in attention can be detrimental to our performance and lead to negative self-talk and self-doubt. The first step in this tool is to identify what we can control, which includes variables like pre-performance routine, nutrition, and psychological skills preparation. The second step is to acknowledge what we can't control, such as the weather, our opponents' performance, or external circumstances, like mental noise. The third step is to consider how we can influence those uncontrollable factors. For example, by reducing the influence of weather on our performance, we may check the weather forecast and pack our kit accordingly. By mapping out these circles, we can focus on clear, controllable actions and stay in the moment. This technique can help us manage our attention, reduce stress and anxiety, and increase our confidence in our abilities.
Another powerful tool is values journaling, where we use our core values as a compass to guide us toward our goals. Core values are fundamental beliefs that guide our behavior and decision-making, and this tool stems from acceptance and commitment therapy. When we align our actions with our values, we feel a sense of purpose, motivation, and fulfillment that helps us overcome self-doubt. Ask yourself questions like "Who inspires me?", "What values do they embody?", and "If a coach were to describe me in ten years, what would they say?" These questions can help identify your core values and build actions that align with them. For example, if you value creativity, you could set a goal to write a poem, draw a picture, or learn a new craft. By connecting our small daily actions with our values, we can build motivation and willingness to experience these uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
We also need to consider some tools to help us stay present in the moment and not become overwhelmed by the mental noise. To manage this mental noise, we can engage in mindfulness techniques like "dropping the anchor." This tool from Russ Harris involves focusing our breath and grounding ourselves in the present moment. Check out the link for more info - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDm2c5FDLNI). These steps can help us stay focused and calm even in high-pressure situations. Other mindfulness tools may work better for different situations, so it's worth experimenting to see what works best for you. Mindfulness can help us overcome negative thoughts and emotions, build resilience, and increase our overall well-being.
Finally, we can look at the design of our environment to make it easier to build new habits and take action. Our environment can have a significant impact on our behavior and mindset. By creating an environment that supports our goals and reduces friction, we can make it easier to take action and build momentum. This could involve anything from setting up a dedicated workspace to removing distractions from our environment. For example, if you want to exercise more, you could set up a home gym or keep your running shoes by the door. By designing our environment to support our goals, we can increase our chances of success and feel more confident in our ability to take action. Take a look at these suggestions from James Clear, who goes through his laws of behavior change (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCkHtvu8Fs4).
Let's reflect....
So, in conclusion, confidence can be a pretty frustrating thing. But by building skills to help you focus on what you can control, taking small actions aligned with your values, and considering how you can design your environment to maximize the chance of taking action, you can better ride the waves of self-doubt. These skills take time to develop and require daily attention and effort, but over time, your skills will grow, and so will you!
As always, we welcome any inquiries and would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. Our dedicated team is here to provide you with the information and support you need!