My Definition of Confidence

Confidence isn’t some elusive quality that only a lucky few are born with. At its core, confidence is trust—the trust you build with yourself through consistent action. It’s about doing what you say you will, day in and day out. The more you follow through on your promises, the more confident you become.

Every time you make a commitment to yourself and stick to it, you’re reinforcing that trust. It could be something as small as setting a goal to drink an extra glass of water or to take a five-minute walk. Following through on these small actions creates a ripple effect, strengthening your belief in your own reliability. On the flip side, every time you break a promise to yourself, you weaken that trust.

Think about how you feel toward a flaky friend—the one who’s always canceling plans last minute. After a while, you stop expecting much from them. You might still like them, but you don’t rely on them. Now imagine being that flaky friend to yourself. When you repeatedly make commitments—“I’ll start working out this week,” “I’ll wake up earlier tomorrow”—and fail to follow through, it chips away at your self-belief. Over time, you stop trusting yourself.

This loss of trust leads to a disconnect—a sense that you’re out of alignment. You know what you should be doing, but your actions don’t match your intentions. That gap creates frustration and doubt, making it harder to move forward. But when you consistently do what you say you will, even in small ways, it brings your actions and intentions back into alignment. You start to feel more grounded and in control, and that confidence begins to spill over into everything you do.

This is why habits are so important. Building confidence isn’t about tackling the hardest challenges first—it’s about starting small. Setting huge, overwhelming goals often leads to failure, which erodes trust in yourself even further. But when you start small, you give yourself a chance to succeed every single day.

Think about the habit of going for a walk each morning. At first, it might just be five minutes around the block. It’s easy to dismiss such a small action as insignificant, but every time you lace up your shoes and take that walk, you’re proving to yourself that you can follow through. You don’t have to think about whether or not you’ll do it; it becomes automatic. And once it feels automatic, you’ve built a foundation to take on more. Five minutes becomes ten, and then twenty. Maybe that walk evolves into running or inspires you to try other healthy habits, like preparing better meals or stretching in the evenings.

This is where the magic happens—when habits begin to compound. The more confident you feel in your ability to stick to one habit, the easier it becomes to add another. It’s like stacking bricks. Each habit builds on the one before, creating a stronger and stronger foundation. Over time, these habits stop feeling like work. They become a part of who you are.

The compounding effect is powerful. Small actions, repeated consistently, don’t just add up—they multiply. A few months of drinking more water, moving your body, and journaling daily can transform your energy, mood, and mindset. You’re no longer thinking of habits as isolated actions. They’re connected, each one fueling the next. This is where confidence truly flourishes—not in the grand gestures, but in the small, steady steps that build momentum.

The beauty of confidence is that it grows with every commitment you keep. Each time you show up for yourself, you’re proving that you can be trusted. It’s not about being perfect or never making mistakes. It’s about staying consistent and aligned with your goals, even when life throws curveballs. Over time, you’ll find that the trust you’ve built in yourself makes it easier to take on bigger challenges.

Confidence and habits go hand in hand. When you master the art of showing up every day, even in small ways, you gain the belief that you can tackle more. And when your habits start to stack and compound, you realize just how much you’re capable of. That’s when things really get exciting—when the work stops feeling like effort and starts feeling like empowerment.

Confidence is not about bravado or perfection. It’s about trust. Every small step you take, every habit you build, strengthens that trust. And when you trust yourself, you open the door to endless possibilities.