Mindsets that Lead to Lack of Confidence and How to Change Them
If you suffer from low self-confidence, you may be stuck in some negative mindsets that are affecting the way you think about yourself and which ultimately impact your self-esteem. Negative mindsets tend to have a lot of “always” or “never” talk, creating a sense of entrapment and hopelessness. Here are some examples of negative mindsets that lead to lack of confidence.
“I will never get it right.”
Thinking this way can keep you from trying again, or even trying something for the first time. It makes it only too easy to give up.
“Nobody understands what this is like.”
When you lack self-confidence, a lot of times you assume that everyone else has it together and you’re the odd man or woman out. You may feel isolated, and may feel as if others have their lives together while you are still floundering.
“I am totally useless.”
When you lack confidence, you may feel like you don’t have anything of value to contribute, whether it’s to your workplace, relationships, or something else.
“I am a complete failure.”
No one fails at every single thing; but to a person with low self-confidence, it certainly can seem that way. You may feel like everything you’ve ever tried has failed, even if this is not really true.
“I could never do that.”
Do you see someone with a successful lifestyle you wish you had? If you lack self-confidence, you may have the above reaction. Instead of being inspired and wanting to create that lifestyle for yourself, you look at that person and get depressed, thinking you could never have what they have.
For me, I know my father used to say “Many are called, but few are chosen.” While this may be true, I internalized it to mean I couldn’t do certain things in life. It’s a lot of work to change something that is learned well at an early age, but I encourage you to do the hard work. It is so worth it!
How Can These Mindsets Be Overcome?
In order to overcome these destructive mindsets that lead to low confidence, it’s necessary to reprogram your thought processes. You’ll need to pay attention to your negative self-talk and immediately change it to something positive.
For example, instead of “I will never get it right,” you could stop that thought in its tracks and think instead, “This is a challenge for me, but if I keep trying and seek out the right help, I know I can succeed.” Rather than, “I could never do that,” think, “I would love to do that! There’s no reason why I can’t have that lifestyle if I work at it.”
For help and support in developing a more positive outlook, check out my new course: https://EmbraceOptimism.com
You may need work with a therapist and/or a counselor to overcome some of these mindsets that lead to lack of confidence. Like everything else in life, you can do it if you set realistic goals and work at building confidence in yourself!
Be Your Best You!
Cheryl A Major
