The correlation between confidence and success
Are successful people confident because they are successful or are they successful because they are confident? Short answer, both. Long answer, also both, but because it is a positive feedback loop.
No one is born both successful and confident (famous and successful are not the same thing). Due to nature and nurture, people can have a higher disposition towards confidence. When these people add hard work to their confidence they are often successful in the area they focused that attention.
Conversely, people who feel they are less confident, are still capable of working hard and achieving success. Recognising that success will contribute to a feeling of confidence in that area. Thus creating a positive feedback loop of success, confidence, success etc.
I was, or am, the latter. Fortunately though because I never felt I had much confidence I never relied on it. Early on in my career, I used attributes such as courage and persistence to kickstart my success.
Then through repeated success with career achievements, I became confident in my ability to succeed and therefore aim for larger goals and persist through bigger challenges.
If you are reading this it is likely you are looking for ways to improve your confidence so you can achieve success. Additionally, success with confidence always feels better than success without it.
To start generating confidence through success; redefine success, review your achievements and link them to challenges.
Confidence is a higher indicator of success than intelligence.
~ The Confidence Code
Redefine Success
Success often feels like an aspiration we haven’t yet achieved. Yet if we redefine it using less elusive words such as progress, finished projects, learnt skills and favourable outcome, it is easier to associate our experiences with success.
If you couldn’t use the word success how would you describe it?
What are some examples from your past that fit into your new description of success?
Some ideas include getting a job offer, contributing to a positive project outcome, graduating or doing something you thought was easy and someone thanked you for your efforts…these are all examples of wins, and an example of a win is an example of success.
Link Achievements and Challenges
You need to recognise your achievements, therefore your success, to be able to communicate them to future employees, or even at a performance review or when asking for a pay rise and promotion.
Recognising how your behaviours or skills and decisions have led to a successful outcome, not only adds tangible evidence to your capabilities but also gives you an example to feel confident about.
The experiences that generate the most confidence, and feelings of success, are the achievements that resulted from getting through a difficult challenge.
Take some time to write down answers to the following:
What was the challenge?
What behaviours or skills did you utilise to get through the challenge?
What was the result of the achievement?
And how did you feel once the challenge was overcome?
For success, attitude is equally as important as ability.
~ Harry F. Banks
A lack of confidence is easily used as an excuse not to succeed and thus it is important to be aware that confidence can be improved and to not let a lack of it limit you.
Here at Course Your Career, I write about confidence and career success. I want to help you progress your career by teaching you what I have learnt about overcoming doubt, making improvements and finally landing a dream job.
I publish new articles all the time and I am working on some exciting projects to help you get the ball rolling. The more people that subscribe to the email list below the more I know this information will help and the sooner I’ll get the stuff out.
Let me know in the comments below if any of this is helpful, not helpful, needs further clarifications or if you have any questions, I’d love to know and will appreciate the feedback.