Confidence can be defined as a firm trust or belief, a faith or assuredness regarding the outcome of something. Confidence in yourself can be defined as the belief or degree of certainty about your ability to be successful in an endeavor. In sport, as in life, the degree to which you play with confidence affects greatly the outcome. However, though most people are aware that confidence is an important part of winning and succeeding, they remain unsure as to how to further develop this quality. What follows is a discussion of some methods for increasing your own self-confidence, not only in sport, but also in life.

I wrote an article a while back entitled, "Run Towards Fear: A Prescription For Success", and it is archived on our website at http://www.personalbestconsulting.com/viewarticle.php . One of the most important lessons we can learn as human beings is that you get what you focus on. This means that your mind will turn your thinking into reality. Therefore, it is important to take conscious control over your thought processes. By not doing so, you put yourself at the mercy of your environment-and that is a terrible place to be.

A common example in sport is the individual or team that focuses relentlessly on not losing the big game. Invariably, what happens? The individual or team loses the big game, despite their best efforts at the time. Why does this happen? The answer is because of their attitude. The athlete or team that focuses on not losing is taking a defensive, passive outlook and approach to the event. If you are playing not to lose, you are worrying about what your opponent is doing. You are also waiting for your opponent to act so that you can react accordingly. As a result, you are at the mercy of your opponent.

As I described in the article "Run Towards Fear: A Prescription For Success," fear can be best described as False Evidence Appearing Real. In sport, we unconsciously learn to fear "the big game." We also learn to fear an opponent, or a pressure situation, or a losing streak, or a penalty. However, if we really examined these fears, would they hold that much power over us? Us there truly anything to fear about a big game or match? You may be excited, or juiced, but is there really anything to necessarily be fearful of? Perhaps, if you are a boxer or ultimate fighter with no talent. However, in most sports, our fears are just that: False assumptions about the conditions we encounter. Confidence, then, is the antidote to fear. Instead of playing anxious, or passive and defensive in nature, confident athletes do the opposite. They take an active role, get excited about the opportunities, and take the game to their opponent.

Once you understand the consequences of fear, you can learn to practice playing and living in a confident manner. The following are some methods that, if applied consistently, will dramatically increase your level of self-assuredness:

Tip #1: Be Positive

Though this might sound like something your mother would tell you, the first step to increasing your self-confidence is to remain as positive as possible in every situation. This can be difficult, given that much of sport dictates that there be winners as well as losers. However, if you dwell on the negatives and on the fact that losses will occur, are you going to improve any aspect of your game (or your life)? Probably not. So-choose to be positive, and to see the positives in your performance. Even the most deflating butt-kicking contains elements of future success. The consequences are that you will be more relaxed, in a better mood, and will most likely learn valuable lessons.

Tip #2: Act Confident (Even If You Don't Feel Confident!)

Acting confidently is one of the easiest ways to feel more confident. After all, have you ever seen a depressed person standing tall, speaking in a firm voice, while smiling? Of course not. Our body language is always congruent with our mood. In other words, our bodies betray our inner moods and feelings. Therefore, the next time the going gets tough and you don't feel so tough, stand up tall, lift your chin, and act with authority. Putting on an act like this will help you feel more confident (you will convince yourself that you can do it) in the short term.

Tip #3: Be Prepared

If you have worked hard to prepare yourself for competition, then you will undoubtedly feel more confident. Outworking your opponent is a simple way to dramatically increase your belief in your ability to succeed. Next time you step out to compete, ask yourself, "Do I deserve to win?". If the answer is no, then you have not prepared yourself well. If the answer is yes, then you will feel much more confident, and you will more than likely win.

Tip #4: Focus On Your Strengths

As with Tip #1, harness the conscious control over your thoughts and decisions. Decide to focus on those natural abilities or gifts that are unique to you as an athlete or individual. What talents do you have that your opponent may not? What skills do you bring to the game or match that you are proud of? By focusing on that which you are already good at, you will notice that you feel much more excited about the upcoming competition, as you have tools that your opponent does not!

Tip #5: Expect Success

When faced with an upcoming competition, game, or match, know that you have been in this situation before, and you have succeeded before. You have earned the right to expect success. You have (hopefully) prepared yourself better than your opponent. Thinking in this manner will put you in a state of mind where you can easily feel confident, and can expect to win.