How To Build Confidence In Kids (And Adults)

By far, the most requested outcome I receive from those I work with is “I want more confidence.”

As with most mental toughness attributes like focus, courage, determination, etc. far too many people are completely unaware that building confidence can be a systematic process not much different than how a golf instructor teaches a beginner how to swing a club.

Or, a volleyball coach teaches players how to serve.

Or a basketball instructor teaches a proper jump shot…

The term “building confidence” is quite accurate as you want to start with a strong foundation, put up a mental frame, and then you can weatherproof it, just like a real building.

It can all be broken down to fundamental steps just like building confidence.

  1. You give the student a basic understanding of what it is and what makes it happen so they feel like they can do it with your help.
  2. You give the student some drills to practice to ingrain parts of the whole.
  3. You test the whole and the coach gives corrective feedback on attempts to use the skill.
  4. Make any adjustments to drills and practice.
  5. Rinse and repeat steps 2-4.

See if you can identify this simple process in this episode’s podcast on Confidence building.