Confidence

Whenever I start something new, I'm brimming with confidence. Nothing can't be achieved. I will succeed at whatever I decide to try and there is no question in my mind that it will happen.When I've been doing something for quite a while, I'm also very confident. All the experience and skill I have built up serve me extremely well.

Then there are the times in between. The things I've just started to learn. People I just recently met. An activity that I'm half-way through. This is the time when I can start to question myself. I don't know why.There are a few things like this going on right now. I'm questioning my ability to see it through. I'm questioning my contribution. I'm uncertain if things are different to the way they appear. I'm wondering if I've overstepped the line.

So I need to do something about this.
Here's my 5-second research results:

Overconfident: In the absence of anxiety a person could become reckless due to overconfidence. This state can be identified by the cognitive thought process of everything appearing rosy. An overconfident person doesn't see the need to consider all possible outcome and is sure the outcome will be what he / she has perceived.

Unconfident: An unconfident person on the other hand gets paralyzed due to anxiety. The person tends to have lots of self-doubts, becomes very critical about himself / herself and have low opinion of self (low self esteem). This causes a vicious cycle where the anxiety cripples the person into inaction, and he / she continues to berate him/herself thus creating more anxiety.

Confidence: When the anxiety is at an optimum level, you are at your best. You know that negative outcomes are possible, but rather than exaggerating or minimizing it, you give it the due attention necessary (what can I do if this happens ...). So perhaps a better definition of confidence is the state of balanced perceptions and preparation.

So if unconfidence is an issue, then one must break the cycle. If this cycle includes inaction, them simply doing something should assist this. But recognise that checking, reflecting and if required modifying this action then ensures that the action taken is correct, thus reversing the negative self-confidence cycle. Perhaps I'm overconfident and I slip up, then become unconfident and due to being very hopeful, I bounce between the two. But how to be balanced between the two. Be aware of the need to be aware of the negative but planning against it and then getting on with it.

Sounds like Nike were onto something.

Now I've sorted that out, what's next....