Belief

Competence matters more than confidence. We know this. Does competence in and of itself lead to belief? There’s certainly a high degree of correlation. The and, I believe, is this. Belief is rooted both in what I’ve done and in a clear and strong identity. If I put in the work and I still tell myself how much I suck, the competence is unlikely to show up in high stakes moments. This is often called imposter syndrome. On the other hand, If I tell myself how great I am and never put in the work – well I never even earn the right to be on the field in that moment. This one I would call delusion.

If you want a high degree of belief you must put in the work, know who you are, and know how the work correlates with that identity. The practice reps then are both the work itself (e.g. kicking a soccer ball, closing a deal) AND practicing the names I call myself, the talk track I allow in my brain.

If your belief is low, figure out where your gap is. If you have competence gaps, get to work on them. If you have a high degree of competence and lagging belief, work on your identity statements, root them in who you are and the work you’ve done, and start practicing them.