When it comes to being a top performer in the classroom or during the game, nothing will give you the edge you need like self confidence. Today we have guest author, Steve Rogers sharing with you how you can get self confidence, and how you can apply it to everything from school to sports, so you can give your best and get great results for your efforts.

What is self confidence?

You take risks every day. When you take a test at school, you’re putting your knowledge on the line and are graded by how well you learn things in the classroom. In sports, whether you are up at bat or playing as part of a team in the field, you are taking a risk by contributing your own skills for a chance at victory.

If you keep worrying about how you will perform, or are constantly telling yourself that things are too hard, then you greatly decrease your chances of success. Staying scared or intimidated is not going to build you confidence and not taking chances is only going to keep you from scoring points, getting good grades, and experiencing everything life has to offer.

How do I get self confidence?

The keys to building self confidence start with remaining level-headed and actually doing things. Think about the first time you tried something. Maybe it was riding a bike. Maybe it was speaking in front of your class. Maybe it was taking a swing at bat or simply walking up to someone new at school and starting a conversation.

Now, you might not have found yourself in the Tour de France. when you first got on your bike, and maybe you got a few scrapes while you were earning, but you practiced, learned, and didn’t get intimidated.

Now, you can get on your bike and go anywhere. That’s confidence. Once you learn to ride a bike, the confidence gained from the experience becomes natural, and you do it almost without thinking. The same applies to everything else. So long as you remain calm, and don’t let fear overtake your desire to succeed, you will build up your self confidence in no time.

The difference between trying and practicing

One major way to build confidence is to try new things. At the lowest level, you’ll never be able to find out what you truly like unless you experience new things. Remember, the world doesn’t come knocking on your door, so you actually have to go out and find these things on your own. Even if you end up disliking the new experience – let’s say trying new food – you can at least say you tried, where others might be too intimidated or set in their ways to experience something new.

Trying out new things is not only a great way to build self confidence, but it also gives you a different perspective on things. If you want to know what I mean, try playing another team member’s position for a little while at your next practice. It will give you a whole new appreciation for what that person does on the team, how it relates to what you do, and how that person influences the game.

Self confidence is not only knowing your own abilities, but also respecting and trusting those around you. If you have confidence in your team, you can have confidence in yourself.

While trying things is a great way to build self confidence, nothing beats practice. Remember the bike analogy earlier? Simply because you could pedal down the street and back a few times didn’t immediately qualify you for a gold trophy, even though learning to ride a bike is a huge personal success. However, if you practiced and learned all you could, then you could easily be taking home the gold in regional, national, and international competitions.

It’s the same with school, sports, and anything else you enjoy or want to succeed at doing. Practice builds confidence. Confidence brings success. Success bring even more confidence to try new things or expand your expertise. It’s like a perpetual cycle, and when you bring that confidence to the classroom or the game, the results will speak for themselves. If you are confident in your own abilities and the abilities of those around you, then nothing can come between you and your goals.