Want to believe in yourself?
You need self-efficacy.
Okay, that’s a vast oversimplification of a complex issue, but self-efficacy is a vital component of self-belief.
What is Self-Efficacy?
Self-efficacy is the knowledge that you can do something. It’s a step past self-belief, because it’s moved beyond “I think I can” to become “I KNOW I can.”
But how do you know?
Because you’ve been there, done that.
You have self-efficacy because you’ve already done the thing, so you know you can do the thing again in the future.
Self-Efficacy, Confidence and Self-Esteem
Believing in yourself is complicated, so we parrot pithy statements that don’t offer much substance. People say, “just believe in yourself!” without providing context.
Well, here’s the context.
Self-belief stems from three factors:
- Self-Confidence
- Self-Esteem
- Self-Efficacy
Self-confidence is your general trust in yourself, and self-esteem is your belief that you have inherent worth as a human being.
Self-efficacy is the third piece of the puzzle – the knowledge that you can.
Why Self-Efficacy Matters
Have you ever been the go-to guy for something? Doesn’t that feel good?
The same feeling comes from knowing that you’re competent. You know you’ll have a great day at work because you’re awesome at your job. You know you’ll slay that presentation because you’re awesome at public speaking. You know everyone will love your signature dish because they always clean their plates.
That’s self-efficacy.
It provides a sense of accomplishment and competency that can only come from knowing you can do something well.
How to Build Self-Efficacy
Building self-efficacy is actually a bit easier than building confidence or self-esteem because there’s only one real way to do it:
Do the thing.
Because self-efficacy is the knowledge that you can do something, the only way to build it is by actually doing the thing and succeeding at it.
Now, since you’ve done it before, you know you’re capable of doing it again and again and again.
Practice Makes Perfect
So how do you do the thing?
You practice.
Whether you want to build self-efficacy at work, in relationships, or at your favorite hobby, you have to practice.
Let’s say, for example, you want to believe in your skills as an artist. How would you do that?
You paint, of course!
Paint a picture, then do another one, and another. Do it until you master it. Now you know you can do it.
The same idea applies to nearly anything you want to believe you can do. If you want to believe you can run a marathon, start running. To build self-efficacy in cooking, start mixing ingredients.
Practicing the skill you want to improve leads to self-efficacy.
More Ways to Build Self-Efficacy
Although practice is essential to self-efficacy, it’s not the only tool in your toolkit.
If you want to build self-efficacy, you should also:
- Take a Class
- Learn from a Mentor
- Get Reviewed
Take a Class
Part of knowing how to do a thing is learning how to do it right. A class can help.
A lot of great painters studied at an atelier. Chefs learn to cook with cooking lessons. People learn via formal education.
Find a class that will teach you the essential skills you need to do the thing correctly. Learning from someone who knows how to do it will help you build self-efficacy quicker.
But Don’t Just Read
I once read a book about skiing and thought that made me an expert skier.
It didn’t.
You should absolutely read about a topic to understand it, but the only way to truly learn is to learn by doing.
Learn from a Mentor
Sometimes classes don’t offer enough hands-on learning. A trusted mentor can help fill the gaps.
Think of it like an informal apprenticeship. Your mentor will help you find opportunities to practice and offer improvement tips.
Get Reviewed
How do you know that you’ve mastered painting (or writing, or anything really?).
A lot of things are subjective, but there’s a sense of pride that comes with knowing that other people appreciate what you’ve created.
If you want to know that you’re good at something, get it reviewed. Have other artists critique your work. Let your boss review your project. Seek guidance from experts.
You’ll know you nailed it when people in the field appreciate your work.
The Challenges with Self-Efficacy
fizkes via Shutterstock.com.
The basic idea of building self-efficacy (doing the thing) is pretty simple, but that can make it an even bigger challenge, especially when your ultimate goal is believing in yourself.
Self-efficacy is directly related to the task at hand, so how do you know what to focus on? It’s not possible to create self-efficacy in everything.
The biggest challenge is also part of the beauty:
You get to decide.
You get to choose what you want to be good at, and you get to focus your time and energy on the things you love.
If You Struggle with Self-Belief
If you’re struggling with a general lack of self-belief, choosing can seem overwhelming.
Some folks might benefit from gaining self-efficacy in basic life skills before trying to master a hobby or become an expert in a field.
Self-Efficacy in Life
The first step is to identify the areas you feel need the most improvement. Do you struggle with relationships, budgeting, life management, planning, or basic adulting?
Once you figure that out, you need to go back to step one:
Practice!
Yes, you can practice getting better at anything – even relationships or adulting.
Try
The most crucial thing you can do is try.
Let’s say you struggle with relationships. That probably means all sorts of relationships, from platonic to romantic.
An episode of The Big Bang Theory showcases a clever idea for building self-efficacy in this area of your life. Raj and Stewart decide to go to the mall to practice interacting with women. While there, they realize they struggle to connect with anyone, until eventually Raj manages to make small talk with a security guard.
Though it’s played for laughs, it illustrates an important point: anything you want to do, even relationship building, takes practice.
So channel your inner Raj, head to the mall (or wherever people go nowadays) and just try talking to someone. The more you do it, the easier it will become, and you’ll eventually be ready to build positive relationships with people you want in your life.
You Can Build Self-Efficacy in Anything
The real secret is you probably can build efficacy in nearly anything – if it matters enough to you.
Of course, there are limitations; most of us probably won’t be star basketball players.
But you can build it in all the life skills that matter. You can create it at your job. You can become a competent person people rely on.
And when you do that, self-belief will follow.