If you have had a difficult time trusting yourself, it may be a sign that you lack confidence. You cannot develop any trust without confidence. Feel secure in your abilities and be strong in your convictions. But, know when you are wrong as well.

All of which requires you to develop confidence. That may seem a world away from your lived experiences, but it’s maybe not as elusive as you think.

No one is born with confidence. It is something we learn and develop during our lives. It’s the same for you. Take steps to develop your confidence and trusting yourself will become easier.

Fear is a detractor

Fear is the biggest detractor from confidence. When you give into your fears, you will diminish the chances of building up your confidence. That is something that deepens if you don’t handle it quickly. You need to face your fears head-on.

That doesn’t mean you should throw caution to the wind and be reckless. You should take chances but only if they won’t put your life or others’ lives in danger.

You would not jump out of a plane without a parachute. Don’t make frivolous decisions, either. Confidence is about knowing the difference.

Start small

Start out with small tasks that you have been afraid to try in the past. Most outcomes will turn out better than you imagine. If you try to project what will happen, and it is always a negative outcome, you will never make any decisions.

Take on those small tasks without thinking too much about what’s going to happen. That will build up your confidence as you’ve never seen before.

You should ask questions when you aren’t sure about the situations you face. Confidence is not about having all the answers. It’s about knowing where to find them and who to rely on with the knowledge that you need. And, it’s also about pulling the trigger when you have gathered enough information.

Believe in yourself

Confidence is about taking responsibility for your decisions and your actions. If you believe in what you are doing, you can portray that belief to others affected by your decisions. You will come across as being weak if you start blaming others when your situation doesn’t go as planned.

Once this happens, others will lose faith in you. That will cause your confidence to erode, and self-doubt will take over. When you make your decisions, you own them, even if they don’t work out.

When you increase your confidence, you will automatically increase trusting yourself. Then, you can accomplish more than you ever imagined.

See also:

Where to find peace of mind
Getting past fear of failure
Exposing insecurities