To attain goals, you need confidence. It takes self-assurance to pursue what matters most to you. But how can you tell if you have enough confidence to reach your goals?
Calibrating your confidence level is tricky: If you have too little, self-doubt can sink you. But if you're too cocky, self-sabotage can result.
The key is mustering just the right amount of confidence to give you an edge — without going overboard.
"Confident people are comfortable in their own skin," said Harry Kraemer, a management professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and author of "Your Values-Based Legacy." "They're always getting better and accept they're not perfect. If you're worried about failure, you won't achieve your goals."
Ideally, you set goals with a positive mindset. The goals excite you. And you can't wait to get started.
Confidence propels you forward. Lacking that drive, your pursuit can peter out as soon as adversity strikes.
To harness confidence to reach your target, know your strengths and weaknesses. How can you gain sufficient self-awareness to hit the ground running?
Confidence: Know What You Don't Know
When setting goals, there are many unknowns. Forces beyond your control can stymie your progress.
When Kraemer asks people if they have true confidence, he looks for respondents who admit what they don't know.
"Confidence comes from knowing what you don't know and surrounding yourself with people who do know," said Kraemer, former chairman and chief executive of Baxter International.
Adopt The Right Mantra
Confident go-getters think like winners. They're more apt to reach goals because their mental toughness reinforces their will to succeed.
Kraemer suggests replacing pings of self-doubt with empowering thoughts such as, "I will do the best that I can do and try to do the right thing."
"Otherwise, you'll waste a lot of time with worry, fear, anxiety, pressure and stress," he said.
Build A Foundation For Confidence
When setting a goal, the challenge is making it ambitious but realistic. You need to determine how far to push yourself without stretching too far.
"Confidence establishes a baseline of certainty," said Nate Zinsser, Ph.D., author of "The Confident Mind." Start by saying, "I know I can do X." That gives you a clear sense of where you're at and where you're going.
Spark Excitement For Breaking Boundaries
Over time, we can get complacent about our abilities. It's tempting to set goals that don't really test our limits or require exceptional effort.
"Your confidence can ignite a sense of possibility," said Zinsser, former director of the U.S. Military Academy's Performance Psychology Program. "It can add a sense of personal excitement and give you goosebumps" to chase a meaningful goal rather than see it as a ho-hum formality.
Scrutinize Your Skills For Confidence
High self-awareness and high confidence work in tandem. The ability to appraise your skill set with clear-eyed honesty increases your odds of goal attainment.
"How do you know if you have the confidence to pursue something big? There's no easy answer," Zinsser said.
He suggests asking yourself two questions: "What skills, resources and experience do I have that'll take me at least part of the way toward my goal?" and "What new skills, resources and experience do I need to cultivate to get the rest of the way?"
Keep At It
Once you start working on your goal, keep bolstering your confidence. Don't take it for granted.
"Confidence-building is a never-ending process," Zinsser said. "We are either building it or losing it. If you're not building it, entropy will suck it down."
